Businesses That Last - Planters Development Bank

SME
Feature
A story built on strong grounds:
Davao Rock
By Therese Gutierrez
Development site of Playa Azalea, a high-end residential resort subdivision located at IGACOS
(Island Garden City of Samal), Davao del Norte.
Rock (n). a stone of any size.
For Alejandro Adaptar however, it
meant something much more. It meant
something solid, unwavering, unmoving.
When he was younger, this Civil
Engineering graduate from the
University of Mindanao dreamed of
owning a company of his own. As he
dealt with suppliers in his line of work as
project engineer of various construction
companies, a business name with the
word “rock” caught his attention. “It
just struck me,” he said. “A rock is
something hard and solid. It symbolizes
a strong foundation.” That, he said, was
the philosophy he intended to start his
business with—to build the company on
rock-solid ground.
With the strong desire to strike out
on his own, he put up Davao Rock in
1988. “I knew that the training and
exposure from the various projects
that I handled would prove to be
valuable.” And it was. The Davao
Rock office—an imposing threestorey
building in Obrero, Davao
started in a rented six-by-six meter
area with one table and two chairs
and one telephone line. Mr. Adaptar
smiles as he recalls his humble
beginnings. “My wife and I built
the business through dedication,
determination and hard work.”
The journey he said, was not a walk in
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