F2 in every Pinoy’s Lives: Efren Uy at the forefront of the country’s logistics

CEBU, Philippines — It was his dream of bringing down the cost of goods for every Filipino through efficient logistics that pushed Efren E. Uy to put up his own business and make a difference.

Logistics play an indispensable role in providing people their daily needs. It ensures the supply chain system to operate smoothly by moving goods from one place to the other, no matter how bad the weather is or even the traffic.

“A lot of people do not know that logistics shoulder a bigger part of the supply chain. Logistics will always be there,” Uy said.

Here enters F2 Logistics, an end-to-end solutions provider, carrying products and services to various destinations in the country by all means possible, whether by land, sea, or air.

“The moment you wake up, take your medicines, drive through to your favorite restaurants, get your coffee, F2 is part of your everyday life,” he adds.

Providing solutions

Uy was not contented with just transporting goods. He always goes an extra mile and introduces solutions to the changing needs of his clients and other industry factors.

For him, a player in the logistics industry must always have an alternative, especially during tough times. In cases of bad weather and flights getting cancelled, the company goes by land or sea, via the first available vessel to deliver the cargoes on time.

To avoid delays due to the traffic congestion, Uy said they deliver the goods to some companies from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. even on Sundays.

“Traffic will continue. It’s there. It’s how you manage. We work 7 by 24. It took us time to convince our clients because it is in the unholy hour,” he said.

Good thing, Uy said, the government is working on improving the roads and ports since infrastructure is critical in transporting cargoes and eventually will bring down the cost of goods.

He said improving infrastructure will help support the growth in the logistics industry that is challenged by trade imbalance, high shipping costs, and fuel price hike.

“The administration is doing a very good job. The “Build, Build, Build” program is the right solution to take. When the infrastructure is good, all other industries will follow. If there are cheaper goods, there is more buying,” he said.

Success story

Born and raised in Cebu, Uy, a licensed engineer, earned an MBA degree from De La Salle University and Stanford University. For 30 years, he was an employee until in 2006 when he founded F2 Logistics Philippines Inc. He was 42 then.

“You wanted to make a difference. One day, you feel you control the ship better if you own the company,” he said.

But, navigating through the waters in the industry was not easy. With a minimum capital, Uy started with three or four trucks and had eight employees. He recalled he did not get paid for one year until his business became stable.

Tested through time, Uy had to overcome challenges and gain the trust of his clients since he believed he had no fighting chance until he makes a name in the industry.

Today, Uy is the founder and chief executive officer of over 20 companies under the F2 Group of Companies, the parent company of F2 Logistics Philippines Inc.

“The business is founded on trust. You keep on finding ways on how to do it,” he said.

Today, F2 Logistics is trusted by thousands of local and multinational companies from retail, fast food, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, hotel and construction, petrochemicals, semi-conductors, manufacturing, appliances, and agriculture.

It has more than a thousand of trucks and employees and hundreds of world-class warehouses and branches all over the country.

Carrying thousands of tons every month, F2 Logistics is the biggest buyer of domestic cargo by volume in both sea and air. It also offers warehousing, quality checking, tracking, cold chain distribution, bulk storage, ISO tank solutions, oversized cargo movement, freight forwarding, and inventory.

The company is also ISO certified, ensuring that it offers the highest standard of quality service to its growing number of clients.

During the 2018 Sangguniang Kabataan and barangay elections and the 2019 midterm elections, F2 Logistics was tasked by the Commission on Elections to deliver to the precincts throughout the country the vote counting machines, voter registration verification machines, ballots, and even replacement paraphernalia, and return them after to the Comelec.

Paying it forward

Amid its success, the company never fails to give back to the community. F2 Logistics provides scholarship grants for its employees and others in need. Some of the scholars are currently working for the company.

It also joins the Brigada Eskwela and conducts tree planting activities and volleyball clinics. Uy, a sports enthusiast, is the owner of F2 Logistics Cargo Movers volleyball team.

Award of distinction

Uy was recently given the Award of Distinction by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry during the Grand Chamber Awards Night at the Marco Polo Hotel Cebu on June 28, which officially culminated this year’s Cebu Business Month.

Other business personalities who have been awarded with the same recognition over the years were: Lucio Tan, Andrew Gotianun, John Gokongwei Jr  in 2004; Ambassador Francisco Benedicto in 2007, Henry Sy in 2011,  Erramon Aboitiz in 2012, and  Dr. Norberto Quisumbing in 2014.

Asked for his message to budding entrepreneurs, Uy said “Start small but dream big.”

Moving forward

Uy expressed confidence over the possibility of F2 Logistics entering the Initial Public Offering.

“It won’t be difficult for us to go public if we want to. But, we have to wait for the right timing. No specific timeline yet,” he said.

F2 Logistics had gone a long way for 13 years now but for Uy, his dream back then when he started has now become his long-term commitment.

“As long as people continue to consume, we will adapt and suggest solutions on what we can do to add more value to our customers. Today, we are very part of your daily life and we want to keep finding ways how,” Uy said. (FREEMAN)