Guilbert Purcia: Building bridges to success

CEBU, Philippines — He started as a driver and bodyguard. Now, Guilbert Purcia owns a thriving logistic firm, serving a growing clientele both here and abroad.

Guilbert did not invest much to start his own business but relied largely on his guts and strong relationships with people he met along the way.

Going the extra mile is what Guilbert is known for, and this helped him build the bridge, which brought him to where he is today.

His company, Purcia Transport Systems Inc., which he founded in Cebu in 1990, is now one of the strongest and reliable logistic firms in the country.

Don’t burn bridges

A native of Camarines Sur, Guilbert found his way to Cebu when a classmate invited him to join a business and he worked as a driver at the same time as a bodyguard.

Although he finished a degree in marketing from the University of North Eastern Philippines in Iriga City, Camarines Sur, he understood that in order to start-off a journey to success, one has to start somewhere. For his part, it was being a driver. Sometimes, a utility man, and making sure his boss was safe.

Because he had a big dream, he started to build his own bridge. He built it everyday by making friends and connections, and learning the trade—slowly, but surely.

If there is one thing he mastered along the way, he said “don’t burn bridges” in relationships. He nurtured the relationships he built in and outside the industry he worked with as a lowly driver and bodyguard. Those very people he made friends with helped him when he tried his luck to find much decent positions.

Before fate brought him to the forwarding and logistics world, Guilbert worked in multiple industries like retail, cooperative, among others. But, it was when he was exposed to the forwarding business that he got fascinated with the business dynamics, and how money easily flows when expertise and credibility are strongly built.

Learning the trade

Raised by farmer parents, Guilbert knows poverty as if it was a norm. But as a child, he also promised himself to get out from poverty someday. Only he did not know how then. It was only a sheer dream. Wild dream.

When he realized that the industry he was in may pave the realization of his dream of sparing his family from poverty, Guilbert grabbed every opportunity to learn the ropes, and the complexity of the trade.

“I forced myself to learn about cargo forwarding. I noticed that the people working in cargo are earning good money,” he shared.

While building his own bridge, learning the industry, he also kept himself informed and be inspired by the success stories of big people in business across industries.

Guilbert is a learner. He kept on asking, observing and apply the “secrets” of successful men and women in business to his own.

His inspirations include the success stories of the Aboitizes, Lucio Tan, and Manny Pangilinan, among others.

When he thought he had built a stable foundation to start off on his own, Guilbert started his one-man-show company in forwarding in Cebu.

Lakas ng loob

“When I started I had nothing. Lakas nang loob lang. Before I resigned from my job, asked some of my clients if they are willing to get my services if I’ll start my own. And most of them agreed,” Guilbert shared his humble beginnings breaking away from a multi-national forwarding to start his own.

He realized that some well-funded multinational firms thrive in the ground because of the local employees (like him) who are working hard for them.

He left his former employers for good with a heavy heart, but Guilbert is just one of the gutsy guys who fought and gambled his future, just to pursue a wild dream of owning a company.

He was asked to manage a multinational forwarding business, but he only gets a chunk of what he worked for. “I might as well start my own,” he thought.

Newly married, Guilbert commuted by jeepney, tricycle to serve/visit his clients. He held office in his house. He worked hard as if there was no tomorrow. And the rest is history.

“Putting up Purcia Cebu was not an easy one. I had to ride jeepneys and tricycles just to visit clients. I had to borrow vehicles of my father-in-law and hire trucks at the Plaza Independencia. I had to close my office if I was not around and just rely on the paging system at that time,” Guilbert recalled his humble bit brave beginnings.

His brand name

Guilbert started with nothing. He named his company after his family name because he only had his integrity, credibility as his capital. No more. No less.

He took care of his name from the very start, that’s why he built a stronger bridge to get him to his success destination. It was not because he became an expert of the complicated industry, but it was because he maintained a good name of credibility and efficiency and most of assuring satisfaction in every service.

He warned that in business, especially in the industry he is in, there are always those “bad guys” who want to crash your name and pull you down. “These are just part of the whole package.”

Countless of times, Guilbert’s credibility was threatened, but as they say “no one can put a good man down.”

Adversities, great trials, betrayal, and many forms of challenges, Guilbert said are part of anyone’s success stories. Otherwise, success is just another part of a mere bragging game—no substance.

Going the extra mile

In every business he conducts, Guilbert never settles for delivering what is only expected from him. He always goes the “extra mile.”

His business grew and is expanding by leaps and bounds because everything was done “beyond business.”

He said delivering to clients what is promised to them is the least the company can do to please them, it’s going the extra mile that keeps his business afloat amid the cutthroat competition.

Today, everyone is trying to get their share in the promising logistics and forwarding business. This is one of the most profitable industries not only in the country, but around the world.

Guilbert is still working hard to guard his share, and pursue growth despite being able build a stronger foundation. The field continues to be slippery, but he is leading his employees by example in going the extra mile.

“If you want to grow big in the transport and logistics business, you’ve got to go the extra mile. You’ll be dealing with a lot of people. Some are easy and difficult, so when you go beyond what is expected of you, they become your loyal clients,” he is generous in sharing his secret to success.

The company now

Guilbert’s company operates sea freight in all seaports worldwide. It handles (FCL) Full Container Load & (LCL) Less Container Load.

Likewise, Purcia Transport Systems Inc.operates airfreight in all airports worldwide, providing customers with tailor-made solutions “based on experience not on chance.”

“We also offer Charter Flights. We work only with reliable carriers,” he vouched.

A PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) accredited service provider, his company provides not only cargo forwarding but any & all logistical requirements, 24/7.

His growing empire now has a fleet of vehicles to handle its growing trucking services—such as containerized and break bulk cargoes, to any destination.

His company is also member of Aircargo Forwarders of the Philippines Inc. and of WCA Inter Global Logistics Network.