GOD’S GIVEN GRACE Elton and Cathy Salimbangon Founders of Organique Inc. “Now we realize. When we try to connect the dots moving backward, we now understand why we came back in the Philippines. Everything is a blessing” -- Cathy Salimbangon
T
here are countless stories of triumph
faced their first problem: How do we sell this?
and success where the protagonist is
In October 2008, Cathy and their kids went back
faced with immense challenge and hard-
to the Philippines. Elton sent her the concoction
ship—that indeed the roads to success are never
he created--a small white bottle with no name nor
smooth and that storms even visit the calmest of
any labels.
seas. For childhood sweethearts, Elton and Cathy
“We have to sell it, so I start with friends. It’s hard
Salimbangon, the founders of Organique, a leading
because the acai is new and it’s expensive,” Cathy
manufacturer of Acai products, their story is no
admitted.
different.
Elton was really surprised when he learnt from his wife that their product was acknowledged. And
FROM SCRATCH For 15 years, Elton and Cathy lived modestly in
with that, Organique, Inc. started to take form as Cathy started selling it to her family and friends.
the United States. Elton was working in a manufacturing company that produces healthy beverages while Cathy was working as a registered nurse in Southern California.
STARTING UP Early on, Elton purchased excess acai berries from the company he worked at, but as his own
It was in mid-2008 when Elton watched a Televi-
product expanded, he had no choice but to invest
sion program featuring the superfood acai berry
and buy thousands of gallons. The shipping over-
and its health benefits. When he reported back
head alone was incredibly costly starting out. But
to his boss, he was told that the company was
in the true entrepreneurial spirit, Elton believed in
already developing an acai based drink. Since this
his vision.
first acai product failed, Elton asked his boss if he could reformulate it. And he did, despite not having a background in
“At that time we didn’t have anything at all. We didn’t know anything. We didn’t have the money to start,” Elton confessed.
food and business manufacturing—he was an IT
When they decided to relocate in the Philippines
major. But he diligently worked with the research
in 2009, they set up a small office in the corner
and development team to help him with the acai
of their house made of concrete and wood, and
product in exchange of his expertise with comput-
without even paint.
ers. “We started from scratch. We started from acai
Unable to afford brand labels for their product, they simply started with stickers as labels.
berry. Acai berry is very bitter but I was thinking
Bringing the product to market was a challeng-
‘Filipino’. It has to be a sustainable taste--not bland
ing task. The product was new, hard to pronounce,
or anything. I was asking R&B. We put on some
and at the same time, very expensive. Some of
apple juice and put in some other mixes until we
their clients even asked why they don’t just go
finally got the consistency right,” Elton said.
back to States instead of facing ordeals in putting
It took several months to create the amazing,
up a business that was not even their forte.
delectable taste that Organique is known for to-
In the Philippines, they first introduced their
day. And it was also after the long and intensive
product in Cebu since they were also from Cebu,
research and development’s success when they
going door to door, and clinic to clinic just to intro-
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