When CW Home Depot President Ferdinand Co says they built their own deep-sea port, he isn’t speaking metaphorically. Faced with logistical bottlenecks, rising import costs, and broken supply chains, Co and his father, Engineer Napoleon Co, didn’t wait for government intervention or industry reform. They took matters into their own hands.
“We encountered firsthand the continuing inefficiencies at major ports—limited facilities, frequent demurrage, high port handling costs, and delays,” Co told Financial Adviser PH. “These recurring issues inspired us to take a bold step forward.”
The result: Sinisian Lemery Port and Industrial Park Corporation, a pioneering facility in Lemery, Batangas, that can handle bulk cement imports and reduce demurrage costs through faster vessel discharge. But it’s not just a port—it’s a critical link in the vertically integrated construction supply chain that CW Home Depot has been building for decades.
Solving the Cement Crisis
Before expanding into modern home retail, the Co family ran Cohaco Merchandising and NGC Marketing, two firms focused on importing high-quality cement.
“We are committed to providing high-quality cement with superior compressive strength, helping meet the rising demands of infrastructure and building projects,” Co explained.
But importing cement in the Philippines was far from efficient. The country’s ports were congested, handling costs were high, and storage was limited. Add frequent demurrage delays, and cement prices ballooned—hurting contractors and end customers alike.
“Cement shortages and reliability issues were common concerns among contractors,” Co said. “We needed to build infrastructure that allowed us to serve the market reliably.”
The Lemery port project wasn’t a standalone solution. It was part of a broader ecosystem Co envisioned—one that included:
Lemery Cement Silo Tank Corporation, to efficiently store and distribute Portland cement and GGBFS (Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag), an additive that improves concrete durability.
Lemery Oil Terminal Corporation, to address fuel storage gaps in CALABARZON, which was overly dependent on terminals in Subic and Bataan.
“Each company was born from a real industry demand, driven by our desire to solve logistical and material challenges at scale,” Co emphasized.
Vertical Integration Done Right
By controlling key stages of the supply chain—from bulk importation to nationwide retail—CW Home Depot reduced dependence on third parties, stabilized inventory, and passed cost savings on to customers.
The lesson for entrepreneurs?
“We weren’t just selling cement,” said Co. “We were solving a broken supply chain.”
For CW Home Depot, logistics innovation wasn’t a support function. It became a core competitive advantage—especially during supply shocks.
A Lesson in Bold Moves
Entrepreneurs often chase scale through apps or ad spend. But CW Home Depot’s story reminds us that the most powerful breakthroughs often happen offline—in real infrastructure, in solving overlooked problems, and in building where others hesitate.
By investing in ports, silos, and fuel terminals, Ferdinand Co and his team didn’t just future-proof their business. They turned industry bottlenecks into long-term assets.
“Why not be able to earn money for everyone while also creating sustainable employment and helping the Philippine economy?” Co reflected.
For founders navigating broken systems, the message is clear:
When the roadblocks are too big to move, build your own road.
