For motorcycle aficionados, all roads led to Clark, Pampanga, as Premiumbikes, an affiliate of JG Summit Holdings financed by Robinsons Bank, celebrated its 10th anniversary with a fun-filled weekend event held from March 1 to 3, 2019.
Festivities kicked off on March 1, when more than 200 guests and Premiumbikes employees filled the Quest Plus Conference Center’s Magellan Grand Ballroom for a glitzy awards night. Company officers, including general manager Ma. Susan Armenta and National Sales Manager Joselito Pojol, as well as Robinsons Bank President and CEO Elfren Sarte, Senior Vice President Andro Yee, and First Vice President Janette Gonzalvo, welcomed the guests at the dinner event. The VIP guests were led by representatives from the “Big Four” of Japanese motorcycle manufacturers—Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha, as well as from brands including Taiwan’s Kymco, Italy’s Piaggio, and motorcycle accessories and apparel dealer Motoactive.
The Awards Night was held to recognize the top performing branches, branch managers and area managers. Each of the Big Four generously sponsored several sales awards; the following day, they also took part in Premiumbikes marketing event inside Clark Freeport Zone. A grand motorcade took place in the morning, and later in the day, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha each set up booths wherein they displayed modified motorcycles and their latest models, and offered visitors free rides and free check-up of their own motorcycles.
The choice of Pampanga as the site of the weekend event was significant for Premiumbikes, as well as its sister company, Summit Superbikes, as this is where it all began 10 years ago, according to the GM Armenta. “Our dealership started here in Pampanga,” she says. “The first store was in Angeles, and the head office was in San Fernando. Summit Superbikes was the first of the two to be established, founded in November 2008 as a dealer exclusively for Honda motorcycles. Two months later, in January 2009, Premiumbikes came into the picture to sell other brands, starting with Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki.”
According to the Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association, the years from 2015 to 2025 will be the “golden years” of motorcycles in the Philippines. Part of the reason for this is because motorcycles have become one of the most viable means of transportation in the country. “The motorcycle is appealing because it helps ordinary Filipino people go wherever they want to go, be it going to school, the office, errands on your daily routine. It’s a more viable option to plying the streets,” says Armenta. “Even people with four-wheel vehicles have difficulty moving about in the city, so now they buy a second mode of transportation.”
On top of the convenience offered by a motorcycle’s easy maneuverability in heavy traffic, owning one has never been easier, as financing schemes courtesy of Robinsons Bank are flexible and highly affordable. It’s all in line with JG Summit’s vision to make life better for every Filipino. Through Summitbikes and Premiumbikes, every Juan can ride.
Despite the current boom, Armenta and other company executives are candid about Premiumbikes’ early rollercoaster ride in the very competitive motorcycle industry. At the same time, they are proud about what they’ve accomplished in just 10 years. “Many of the dealers, they’ve been around for decades, some for 50 years, some 40, protecting their turf. We’ve are just in our infancy compared to them, but we’ve risen to this level—we’ve been awarded one of the 10 dealers of Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki, and we rank no. 13 for Honda—very fast.”
As of March 2019, there were 156 operational stores, which engage with around 900 employees all over the country. 2019 is projected to be a banner year, as the company intends to have 250 operational stores by year end. “If we reach our target, with the new 94 stores contributing to the sales of the company, we can already compete with the top 10 Honda dealers. I’m confident we’ll hit 250 shops and sell 78,000 brand-new units,” said Armenta.
Robinsons Bank President and CEO Elfren “Boyie” Sarte delivered a speech at the event, voicing how it was important to reflect on the company’s history while forging the path ahead. “It is important that we are reminded of our past and of our failures, so that as we face the challenges of tomorrow, we don’t forget the lessons of the last 10 years so we can pursue a sustainable business operation in the years ahead,” he said.
To meet the challenge from JG Summit President and CEO Lance Y. Gokongwei, which is for Premiumbikes to become among the very top dealers in the next four years, Sarte laid down his vision for the company. While building more stores is important, he also stated, “a lot will depend on the dedication of our people in Summitbikes and Premiumbikes. It is not enough to just offer our customers motorcycle units. It is important to understand customer needs and offer flexible financing options. To be a top dealer in this tough industry, we need to have a strong customer-centric culture to separate Premiumbikes from the rest of the industry players.” Sarte also mentioned that to strengthen its relationship with customers in this digital age, Premiumbikes is building its online platform.
GM Armenta agrees with the customer-centric point of view. “Everyone in this industry sells the same motorcycles, we offer very similar installment schemes. So, what will make you different, is the servicing. If you are able to service your customers better, in terms of after sales, you have available parts, you have very good mechanics, you have very good after-sales, like giving customers their LTO registration earlier than expected, that will make you one of the best in the industry.”
