(First published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer Business Features Section)
by Myrna Rodriguez Co
Batang UP, he calls himself. He grew up inside the University of the Philippines campus, worked in UP, met his wife, Flor in UP, got married in UP, and is now managing his own flourishing garment business based in UP.
Mike Esteves was a school grader when he began dabbling in t-shirt printing as a young assistant in his Kuya Reynaldo’s silk-screen printing business. He learned the trade fast because he was an artist at heart who saw t-shirts as a drawing paper or canvas of sorts.
At 15, he had begun to master the process, even experimenting now and then with his own designs. He was also his Kuya’s eager all around part-time errand and delivery boy, gamely boarding ikot jeepneys around the UP Campus with bundles of t-shirts perched on his shoulders.
Even when he went to work at the UP Transportation Training Center as draftsman, Mike still had half his mind on t-shirt design and printing.
In 1989, Mike resigned his job to pursue his true passion. He began his own home-based t-shirt printing business, starting with meager capital and only the most basic equipment — squeegees of various sizes and an exposure table. “I was a one-man army,” he describes his early business attempt.
In the way of most couples in business, it was decided Flor would keep on working at the UP Business Research Center while Mike tried his luck in the yet uncertain venture. If the business failed, they had Flor’s stable employment to fall back on.
Today, 20 years after they made the crucial decision, Mike’s Maroon Garments is now a full-fledged garment producer that has integrated its operations to include sewing, design, printing, wholesaling, and retailing.
In 1993, they finally acquired an outlet at the UP Shopping Center which is known as Maroons Boutique and Novelty Shop. By then, too, the business has become stable enough to enable Flor to resign her job and handle the company’s accounting and finance requirements.
Their property at Don Antonio Heights, Quezon City, now combines three distinct units: a garment factory, a printing shop, and the family residence.
The business now employs from 10-12 workers at a time, has seven sewing machines, and a cutting machine. At the printing department, designing has been computerized although the printing itself still employs the traditional manual process using squeegee sets and exposure tables.
Capacity has gone up to 500 to 1000 t-shirts a day in the printing unit, depending on the complexity of the design. At the sewing department, up to 300 pieces of assorted garments can be produced daily.
The market has also grown to include, aside from UP, universities and schools around the Diliman area as well as various student organizations and private businesses needing promotional giveaways.
Three years ago, ShoeMart began placing orders of t-shirts with Pinoy designs for Kultura, SM’s Filipiniana boutique.
In 1997, Maroon Garments became the first licensed producer and seller of UP t-shirts, jackets, shorts, pants and other paraphernalia including mugs, caps, stickers, bags, umbrellas and gift bags. The UP-approved business plan for the company projected a minimum output of P2.6 million worth of goods a year.
There are advantages to a UP license, says Mike. All colleges and units of the university are now Maroon Garments’official market. The Institute for Small-Scale Industries and SERDEF provided free counseling to improve its work processes. The administration helps promote and market its products. During the Centennial Celebration in 1998, Mike had a peak year of selling souvenirs and novelty items.
There are disadvantages, too — as unauthorized manufacturing and selling of UP paraphernalia have gone on. Because most of them are informal and do not pay license fees and taxes, competitors can afford to offer lower prices..
Flor laments that they have been treated unfairly by the BIR in a city mapping operations a few years ago. “At first, we were complimented for being good taxpayers, which we are. Later, they questioned a technicality – that we failed to note down customer’s addresses in the official receipts.” Their business is being penalized for this oversight.
Despite setbacks, Maroon Garments remains unfazed. It has a competitive edge after all. With its integrated operations, Mike and Flor can control quality, price, and delivery schedules.
“Magaling na sa design, magaling pa sa printing,” Flor adds looking at her husband.