A meaty affair

Most people, if not all, find it insulting to be called “controlling.”

But it’s the right word to describe Dr. Robert Lo, the man behind local meat shop chain Fresh Options.

By taking control of every aspect of his meat-production business—from raising his own livestock and providing them with his own feeds to running all of the Fresh Options stores—the president and chief executive officer of Red Dragon Farm, Feeds, Livestock and Foods Inc. (RDFFLI) ensures his clients of his products’ quality, particularly when it comes to cleanliness and taste.

“I wanted things done right,” says Lo. “And I learned, throughout my 30 years in the industry, that to really do things right, you have to do them yourself. You have to find the opportunity in every crisis.”

The 57-year-old doctor of veterinary medicine began his trade via a quail egg production business in 1985, after briefly applying his veterinary experience at a few animal clinics and teaching epidemiology at his alma mater, University of the Philippines Diliman.

“The problem with the quail egg business is that it’s very seasonal. There’s only a demand during Christmas, Chinese New Year and summertime. After that, none. So some of my products would really go to waste. So I stopped,” he says.

His clinical veterinary practice, on the other hand, was short-lived because Lo found himself becoming too affected by a patient’s death—usually pet dogs or cats. There was much less emotional investment in livestock for Lo, who views such animals as “really more for business.”

Lo then tried out contract growing in 1988 by opening a poultry farm in Pampanga and supplying chickens to San Miguel Corp., a business he found easier to expand. “When it comes to contract growing, you’re given the input: The chicks, the feeds, the market. What you take care of is the housing, management, the technical know-how and labor.”

From one poultry farm, Lo was able to open three more by 1991. However, Mt. Pinatubo erupted and his business was affected.

“We were in the pathway of the lahar. I was prepared for it, though; I put up three-feet posts [to elevate my facilities], so I was able to save around 60 to 70 percent of my materials,” he says. “Thank goodness the lahar that hit us … was the dry type, and not the more destructive kind, which really destroys everything in its path.”

Lo’s lahar dilemma would repeat itself in 1999. “I thought we were safe already, but apparently there is also what you call remobilized lahar (old deposits triggered by rains).”

Around the same time, Lo also faced the problem of rampant smuggling of chickens from the United States into Clark and Subic. “We really suffered. Prices went down, and we were losing money. We approached then [Agriculture] Secretary Edgardo Angara, and, thankfully, he was able to put a stop to the smuggling,” he says.

Despite the trials, Lo says he continued his poultry business because it was, as he described it, his “passion.”

“I’ve always been interested in animals,” adds the son of the owners of the former Ketch Department Store in Cubao, Quezon City. He says it was his parents who gave him the money to start his own business, after realizing he could not survive on his salary as a professor.

Using his experience as a contract grower, Lo then set his sights on becoming an independent grower. “As a contract grower, you really still don’t earn as much. Sometimes the quality of the chicks isn’t good, as well as that of the feeds,” he says.

Based on what he learned from college on animal nutrition, Lo installed his poultry with their own feed mills, solving his problem of suppliers providing substandard feeds. He also opened his own piggery to increase his product range.

“But then I had a hard time dealing with the middlemen. I realized how much power they had over the producers and farmers, as well as the buyers. So I thought, why not sell directly to the consumers? That was when Fresh Options was born,” he says.

Since it first opened in 2005, Fresh Options now has over 150 branches—a mix of standalone stores and outlets inside supermarkets—in Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Metro Manila. Lo takes pride in the fact that all Fresh Options stores are “co-co” or company-owned and company-controlled. Lo reiterates this is to ensure the quality of his meats is not compromised, which was bound to happen had he opened up his meat shop for franchising.

Despite his “controlling” approach, Lo says he makes it a point to consult with other experts on how to further improve his business. “I have a lot of consultants. And you have to empower your people,” says Lo, who now manages over 1,000 employees.

As he gears up for the redesign of Fresh Options’ outlets, Lo is also preparing to open up a second Roberto’s, his restaurant which now can be found only in SM Clark. His company is also planning to set up vending machines containing ready-to-eat meals in select malls.

“They say that once you dive into the poultry business, do not stop, because for every two losses, you gain three wins. So I think I’ve got my losses covered,” says Lo.