SUCCESS comes to people who have a great work ethic, talent and who play fair and square. MJ Ringor, CEO of Mundo Design+Build, is a good example of good guys finish first.
After graduating with a degree in industrial engineering from the University of Santo Tomas, the 34-year-old Ringor flew to New York to join his family. While at the Big Apple, Ringor took on odd jobs and worked as a handyman. He also dabbled in furniture restoration, where it would open more opportunities in the future.
“I would bring home old furniture that I’d see on the streets and restore them. Our friends liked what I did and started asking me to work for them. I figured this was something I can do in the Philippines,” Ringor said in an interview on March 8 in Makati City. Ringor’s friends noticed his work and later requested him to design their rooms.
“They invited me to fly to Los Angeles and fixed their homes. My fees ranged from $700 to $1,000. My work also involved in accompanying a client to M Depot in purchasing the materials needed for the painting job,” Ringor noted.
Before going back to the Philippines, a Filipino asked him to repaint his home for P2 million, which was good enough for a three-week job.
With P2 million in his pocket, he decided to go back to the Philippines and put up his business.
In 2009 he put up M2 Builders. It was renamed Mundo Design+Build in 2012.
Ringor recalled the company started with three people. At present, the company has a staff of 120. It is classified and registered with the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board and is registered with the Department of Labor and Employment.
He opened a design firm in a tiny 60-square-meter space in Bonifacio Global City. He used his US-based friends as referrals for his projects in the country. He walked the extra mile in promoting the fledgling company by hanging out at Home Depot and giving out his calling cards. “There was a time I’d stay in Starbucks and offer our services to those I would hear discussing home finishing or renovation plans. My first projects were residences,” Ringor recalled.
His initial foray was in the construction side with a foreman and five workers. They are still working in the company and successful. “They’ve built their own homes and bought their own cars. Seeing them move up in life makes me very happy,” he beamed.
Mundo Design+Build handled projects ranging from P250,000 to P200 million. The current client mix is 60-percent commercial and 40-percent residential. It is doing offices, retail outlets and restaurants. Some of the clients include Vikings Restaurant, Café Veranda in Taal Vista Hotel, Hotel 101, Microsoft, Millward Brown, Philex, Task US and TNS.
Although Mundo Design+Build is not yet a giant player, Ringor said they have a leverage because it is one of the companies that integrate design and construction. Furthermore, it does outsourcing and even has an in-house personnel even for construction. “So the client gets a genuinely centralized service and nobody is at the mercy of a third party. The project is easier to control,” he explained.
Furthermore, it gives Mundo Design+Build to be agile, which earned praises from clients for their efficiency without sacrificing the quality. “There is no question about the quality we deliver, we have quality-control officers who check all the projects and look into every detail. And I am very hands-on,” Ringor explained.
The company also fosters a personal relationship with their clients. Being flexible, it can easily adjust to the clients’ preferences and demands. “In terms of completion of projects, we do not leave anything unfinished. When we turnover a project, we make sure that it is in good condition,” Ringor explained.
For design, it is always a collaborative effort. Ringor and his team always listen to their client’s needs and give their professional opinion.
“We always tell the client why something might not work or suggest better ways of executing what they want. But we never insist on any particular design. We don’t impose our style,” he pointed out.
To promote sustainability, Ringor and his team also suggest eco-friendly options to their clients. They would tell clients going green is beneficial in the long run. Furthermore, they give them options on how to go green, such as use of solar energy.
For expansion of the business, Ringor stated they are doing custom furniture for clients.
Asked why he changed the name to Mundo, Ringo said the objective is for client to develop his own world by meeting all their requirements.
“That’s where I want the company to go. And not only do we build aesthetically and structurally but I also want us to build the world of our staff and people in the community, that’s why we are big on corporate social responsibility. People are really my inspiration, I really want to help,” he pointed out.
Believing in good karma, it has done outreach programs for the past three years. Furthermore, Mundo Design+Build provided jobs to the 20 indigent youths in their community. “We’ve helped in constructing the San Ildefonso Church and the Saint Michael Archangel in Bonifacio Global City,” he said.
Ringor is ably supported by his wife, Kaye, the chief financial officer, a team of licensed professionals headed by Arch. Alelee Nanette Castro, the design director and engineer Majalyn Rose Datuin, the project director.