PAKIL, LAGUNA, Philippines?Following his interest in arts, crafts and furniture, 35-year-old Rod Reyes began a venture that has already captured buyers in the local and international markets.

Reyes mainly sells high-end bags made of wood and finished with lacquer, which he says ?can last a lifetime.?

He is also developing souvenir items such as jewelry boxes.

Even with his products? prices ranging from $300 to $3,000 (with precious stones) in the international market and P3,500 to P9,000 in the local market, Reyes? orders and buyers are steadily increasing.

Right business /

Reyes, a BS Biology graduate of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, has been an entrepreneur since he was a student, when he supplied products like caps from Biñan, his hometown, to other places.

After graduating in 1997, he helped in the family?s grocery business for one year and then worked in Australia as a bee specialist for three years.

When he came back to the country, he put up a review and tutorial center and reopened his grandfather?s century-old ?puto? Biñan business using his savings as capital.

But these ventures did not last due to various problems.

At the same time, he was also a business partner in a bag business in Manila. That was where he got exposed to various bag products, including those made of wood.

?I thought of putting up my own wood bag business because through it, my interest in wood, arts and crafts, and creativity would all come together,? Reyes shares. Since he was a child, he has always been fascinated with wood, especially furniture, and liked drawing and paper art.

By researching online and talking with manufacturers, he found out that there?s a good market for luxury and high-end products.

So he put up Rodrey Arts and Crafts in January last year, with around P150,000 capital, and started developing and selling high-end products.

Reyes based the business in Pakil town where the wood carvers and craftsmen are.

Product development

By September 2009, Reyes had his first products and began marketing. He talked to bag retailers and e-mailed designers and business people. Many local and foreign designers became interested in the products.

He already has local and foreign buyers and is supplying products to some high-end stores. Maximum number of orders reaches up to 300 pieces in one month.

Reyes says the products are labor-intensive and it takes more than one month to complete the bags because everything is done by hand. Thus, the best craftsmanship is put into each item.

There are others who make wood bags, but Reyes says his bags? designs are unique. His bags are almost scratch-resistant and do not peel easily because of the kind of paint he uses. They also have a leather lining.

?We have unique designs where we incorporate organic materials like shell and scrap hardwood,? Reyes says.

He also makes sure he uses only legal wood.

Reyes constantly develops new products, looking for other native materials to use such as shells from Cebu, his inspiration ranging from nature to architecture.

His tips for a business to succeed? Reyes says it?s all about following your passion and interest.

?You also need to have an eye for detail and quality, an idea about the market and business trends, and of course, you need to have a lot of guts,? he says.