Thirty-four years ago, Feliciano, the chairman of Calfurn Manufacturing Philippines Inc., and Angelo Baltazar, together with other five incorporators, established Aweca with an initial capitalization of P30,500. The P500 came from Feliciano, a certified public accountant by training.

“Five contributed P6,000 each, while I pitched P500. At that time, I did not have the money,” said Feliciano in a recent interview with the BusinessMirror.

The drive to succeed in life was ingrained in Feliciano during his younger years when his father passed away when he was only 12 years old. After graduating from high school, he became a working student by driving the family-owned public utility jeepney to help the family and support his studies at the Holy Angel College (now Holy Angel University).

After being a part-time driver for two years, Feliciano was recruited by his professor during his third year to work in his accounting office. His stint at that office honed his accounting skills and he stayed there until his graduation. After passing the CPA board examination, he worked again at his mentor’s firm and at a financing company. He also worked briefly for Mariwasa ceramic tiles and returned to work at his professor’s firm.

Feliciano’s work experience enabled him to meet various people, including some entrepreneurs. Lady Luck was working in favor of Feliciano as his friends, led by Baltazar, invited him to open a business. Thus, Aweca was born. Later, they merged it with other businesses, and the company is now known as Calfurn.

“By accident, we chose furniture. Since I was a kid, I really love furniture. Since high school, my dream was to become an entrepreneur some day. It became a reality when a group of people invited me to join them and become an incorporator of this furniture company,” said Feliciano.

Calfurn started small with 20 workers at a 200-square-meter building in Pulong Bulo, Angeles City. A serviceman from Clark Air Base was its buena mano customer.

Feliciano recalled they used the bark of abaca as the raw material for the furniture. “By accident, while we were looking for raw materials in Bicol, we discovered it,” he said.

“We played around with it and started using it. If I were to translate the amount we’ve gotten by using this waste material, it would be several millions of dollars,” added Feliciano.

With the group’s ingenuity, Feliciano spearheaded the use of other indigenous materials, which included the tips of bamboo trips. Thus, Calfurn has become a pioneer in sustainable development.

Calfurn’s products became an instant success, especially among buyers at the Clark Air Base and the Subic Naval Base in Olongapo. Calfurn’s products were a “bargain” considering the high quality and its affordable price, according to Feliciano.

“For instance, if we price a chair for $100, it was a bargain for our customer because the actual price of the furniture in the US was $400. If I sell it at $100, I have a 50-percent profit,” said Feliciano.

Later, the business grew as six more facilities were opened, including a 14-hectare production facility with 32 buildings. The original 20 employees grew to 400 inside workers and 1,000 subcontractors, which had direct impact to more than 5,000 dependents from Pampanga, Tarlac and Pangasinan.

For the first five to six years, Feliciano recalled it was an easy path toward growth for Calfurn. Later, Feliciano and company noticed that growth was starting to plateau because of the limited size of the market.

“We observed the opportunities in the Philippine market are very limited,” said Feliciano.

Calfurn had a great start in the international market when New York-based Bloomingdales became its first customer. “The Philippines is famous for this product, specifically in Angeles City, where the rattan industry started,” said Felciano.

“Cebu City would claim that it’s the home of rattan furniture, but the truth is that Angeles City was the center of rattan-furniture industry in the country,” he stressed.

Other clients include Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and the William Sonoma Group, to name a few. Calfurn also has a presence in Europe, Japan, the Middle East and Australia.

Challenges were also part of the Calfurn history, according to Feliciano. The first was the Mount Pinatubo eruption, wherein some of their facilities were buried in volcanic ash. Feliciano recalled that they have to pay their work force with food and grocery items because food was scarce in Angeles City.

The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the US and the global recession in 2009 also affected the export business of Calfurn. “Since it was global, we were severely hit,” said Feliciano, referring to the economic slowdown.

“The reduction in our production was between 30 percent and 40 percent. It was a double whammy for exporters because of the appreciation of the peso coupled with recession. If you are in the export market, you can’t readily increase your price,” he added.

Despite the entry of China, Indonesia and Vietnam in the international market, Feliciano and Calfurn remain unfazed because they have created a niche that is anchored on quality and excellent craftsmanship. To maintain the Calfurn touch, Feliciano and his team join different trainings and exhibits locally and abroad.

The company was the recipient of the “Outstanding Supplier Award” from Palecek Imports, one of America’s leading names in import of home furnishings, and considered synonymous with quality.

It also earned the Design Excellence Awards for the zebra and Philadelphia chairs in the 1999 Design Journal Award and 2001 ADEX Award, respectively, given at Highpoint Furniture Fair in the US.

After creating waves in the international market, Feliciano said it’s high time for Calfurn to sell in the country so Filipinos can experience world-class furniture. “This time we want our countrymen to see and experience what is world class,” he said.

Although Calfurn is known for having high-end clients, Feliciano assured that the company would adjust to the market conditions in the Philippines by offering not just its top-of-the-line products, but also what it calls its “entry-level” items.

At present, Calfurn is working with a number of real-estate developers to dress up their show rooms, as well as fully furnished condominium units. Aside from customizing and mass-producing furniture, Calfurn is also into home accessories.

For Feliciano, the journey toward success started with P500. His determination and talent were the driving forces toward growth. Indeed, he provides a good lesson for aspiring entrepreneurs.

In Photo: Eredito Feliciano (standing) and Angelo Baltazar of Calfurn Manufacturing Philippines Inc.