“There is no such thing as a small project,” says MJ Ringor, chief executive of Mundo Design + Build. Established in 2009, the integrated design and construction firm started as a one-man show in a 60-square meter office space and has now grown to a team of more than 120 employees.
After earning his degree in Industrial Design from the University of Santo Tomas, Ringor flew to New York to join his family. He took on odd jobs and worked as a handyman. He also got into furniture restoration. He would bring home old furniture he’d find on the street and fix them. “Our friends liked what I did and started throwing projects my way. Clients would fly me inter-state to do their homes,” he says.
He eventually figured that this was something he could duplicate in the Philippines. “My clients in the US referred me to their friends here. I also got clients by hanging out at Home Depot and giving out my calling cards. There was a time I’d stay in Starbucks and offer my services to those I would hear discussing home finishing or renovation plans. My first projects were residences,” he recalls.
“The business was initially just about design but my clients would always complain about the poor service from their contractors. They saw my potential in project management and pushed me to get into construction. What makes us stand out is that we do not outsource the work so the client gets a genuinely centralized service, nobody is at the mercy of a third party. The project is easier to control,” Ringor explains.
This set-up allows them to work faster as well. “Our clients have commended us on our efficiency. We get things done quickly without sacrificing the quality. We have quality control officers who check all the projects and look into every detail. And I am very hands-on,” he adds. Ringor is often seen immersing himself in the job and getting his hands dirty, just like he did when he was just starting out.
Mundo’s current client mix is 60 percent commercial and 40 percent residential. The cost of projects they have taken on ranges from P250,000 to P200 million which include offices, retail outlets, restaurants, condo units and houses. Their client roster includes Vikings Restaurant, Café Veranda in Taal Vista Hotel, Hotel 101, Microsoft, Millward Brown, Philex, Task Us and TNS.
Ringor’s ehief executive role is supported by his wife, Kaye who serves as chief financial officer. They are backed by a team of licensed professionals headed by design director Alelee Nanette Castro, an architect and project director Majalyn Rose Datuin, an engineer.
“Our relationship with our clients is very personal. Our approach is one-on-one. We are flexible, we can easily adjust to the clients’ preferences and demands. We understand that these can change while the work is in progress,” Ringor says.
As for their design principles, he says it is always a collaboration with the client. “We listen to what they want. Our role is to give our professional opinion, to say 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”.
Recently though, as part of their Go Green campaign, they have been quite strong in suggesting eco-friendly options to their clients such as the use of solar energy, LED lights, recycled materials, non-toxic paint, inverter air conditioning and special toilets. “It really depends on how far they would want to go or if they are even willing to do it in the first place. Again, we do not insist,” Ringor says “Some think that going green is more expensive but it actually comes out cheaper in the long run.”
Further expansion is on the horizon, with custom furniture production in the pipeline. “Mundo’s goal is to ‘build your world’. We’d like to be able to meet all your 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,” Ringor says.
This explains why the company is big on corporate social responsibility, carving out time for orphanage visits and medical missions. Among Mundo’s staff are 20 individuals from the indigent youth in their community. ”We’ve also helped in constructing the San Ildefonso Church in Makati and the St. Michael Archangel in Bonifacio Global City. We like to help where we can,” says Ringor.