BIZ BUZZ: Global Ferronickel’s Lazaro gets recognized

The legal team of listed mining company Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc. bagged multiple international awards recently.

Global Ferronickel said its legal team received the award from the In-House Community (IHC) at the online awards ceremony held in Hong Kong recently.

The firm’s legal team was likewise shortlisted in the In-House Legal Team of the Year 2024 in the Energy and Natural Resources category.

The IHC is a community of over 16,000 in-house legal professionals in the Asia and Middle East regions.

Before this, Global Ferronickel said its legal team bagged In-House Team of the Year 2024 (Construction and Real Estate) at the Asian Legal Business (ALB)–Philippine Law Awards 2024 held in November.

Global Ferronickel chief legal counsel Noel Lazaro was named among the top five in-house lawyers for this year.

Additionally, the company was among the finalists in the following categories: Philippine In-House Team of the Year 2024 and In-House Team of the Year 2024 (Innovation).

Organized by Thomson Reuters, the ALB recognizes the most innovative and successful legal teams across the country.

“The honor is as much about dedicated colleagues who work tirelessly behind the scenes as it is about the team on stage. Their purposeful contributions are at the heart of our collective success,” Lazaro said. —Jordeene B. Lagare

25 new stores for 2024

The Lucio Co-led retail and investment holding firm behind mega-brands Puregold Price Club Inc. and S&R Membership Shopping Club has been on a roll this year, opening 25 new stores, which boosted its total number of establishments to nearly 600.

Cosco Capital Inc. said it opened 19 new Puregold stores, three S&R Membership Shopping Warehouses, and three S&R New York-style quick service restaurants.

The group said it now operates 591 stores in the Philippines, including 505 Puregold stores, 29 S&R Membership Shopping warehouses, and 57 S&R New York-style quick service restaurants.

The company is touting several strong segments of its business, including the P151.97 billion in consolidated net sales of its Puregold and S&R stores during the first nine months of the year.

“This impressive growth is fueled by the group’s aggressive expansion strategy in Visayas and Mindanao and the aforementioned focus towards customer satisfaction and best value to customers,” it said in a statement.

Cosco Capita’s liquor distribution arm, The Keepers Holdings Inc., also brought in a consolidated revenue of P11.7 billion during the period, thanks in large part to purchases of the Alfonso brandy.

A company representative told Biz Buzz that they will continue to expand in 2025, confident of their growing business in the country. –Alden M. Monzon