Ronnie Go's Eco Trans Car Rentals

“There is no elevator towards success; you have to take the stairs,” they say. This statement rings true for business tycoon Ronnie Go as the road getting to where he is now has become quite a “long drive.” Before he became the CEO of various trades, he was just a guy who puts a lot of effort – tender loving care as he would relate – in every car he had. “I have always had a passion for cars,” he said, which reflects on all the businesses he now owns.

Long before his other businesses – R & S Cargo Corporation, Ecohaulers, Inc., and Ecofreight, there was Eco Trans Car Rentals.

Ronnie was an officer in the Phil. Air Force after graduating from the Philippine Military Academy. He was first assigned to Davao and this paved the way for the plethora of ideas which lead to the creation of Ecotrans. “We used to stand by in the old family canteen restaurant at the old airport terminal. We observed that most rent-a-car units at that time were not presentable and the drivers lacked training in customer service,” he shares. Leaving a promising career in the military behind, he and his wife put up what is now known as, Ecotrans Car Rentals.

Like every other success story, Ronnie encountered a lot of bumps on the road. He and his wife began with a second hand van, to which he started to market with various companies in Davao City.

It was a rough start. He received opinions that his van was old and the air conditioning was weak, but he took it in stride and improved their overall service.  Eventually, they gained clients that resulted in a significant demand for their brand of service, which made them acquire more vehicles to add to their fleet.
Metaphorically, he hurdled the bumps and detoured onto a better road. This was when he was introduced to the consultants of the new Davao airport. They agreed to rent a vehicle for a year. A year turned into 3 years and one vehicle became 6.  This is when they started increasing their speed as they got on the freeway, driving nonstop up to now, encompassing a journey totaling 21 years this May of 2015.

To last that long in the business, there must something great about it. To Ronnie, it will always be about the service to the clients. According to him, “Our aim has always been to provide our clients with vehicles that are presentable, properly maintained, and hence, reliable.  To give them drivers that are professionally trained, responsible and courteous. Over all, to provide them with a service that is a cut above the rest.”

Surpassing what has already been a successful journey, he has ventured into three other businesses mentioned at the beginning of this article. R & S Cargo Corp. operates 6-wheeler closed aluminum vans carrying products of Panasonic Philippines from Davao to various dealers in Mindanao, as well as the buns being delivered to different McDonald’s branches in Mindanao. Ecohaulers, Inc. operates prime mover trucks hauling forty-footer container vans carrying the bananas and pineapples produced by Dole Stanfilco. Lastly, Ecofreight operates 10-wheeler wing van trucks carrying the products of Sharp Philippines and Mighty Corporation, plus other products around Luzon and parts of the Visayas area.

For such a busy man, there might be no time to spare. But Ronnie is above all, a family man. As a single parent (after being widowed), he invests time with his children. If given time, he enjoys playing golf. After all, a man with accomplishments deserves a breather once in a while.

When asked for words of wisdom he would want to share, Ronnie came up with three sayings: 1) “Never allow anyone to tell you what you can or can't do.”; 2) “Always look for ways that you can improve on something.”; and 3) “Don't be afraid to fail. It would be better to try and fail than to have not tried at all.”

Wise words from a man who has been behind the controls not only of the aircraft he has piloted and the cars he drove, but also of his own fortune.

[original post from Cosco Magazine written by: Faith Dimaano]

Business Davao City Feature RXI 11:01 PM