When you hear the words ‘Chooks-to-Go’ what immediately comes to mind are the mouth-watering roasted chickens people have come to consider as a staple of what they call their comfort food.
But behind the rotating rotisseries and the aroma of oven-roasted chicken is a company built on a foundation of hard work, high quality of people management and an amalgamation of employer and business best practices.
Barely eighteen but already reaping the bounty
Bounty Agro Ventures Inc. (BAVI) had its humble beginnings back in 1997 with initial operations in Cebu and Davao, when the company was incorporated as a member of the Bounty Fresh Group of Companies.
In 2002, the flourishing poultry integrator embarked on an all-out expansion in Luzon and in the whole of Visayas and Mindanao under a new management team led by Ronald Daniel Ricaforte Mascariñas.
Awarded Asian Livestock Industry Awards 2009
In 2009, BAVI soon became one of the well-known market leaders in the industry when it bested leading companies for the Best Poultry and Livestock Company Award in Livestock Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. BAVI swept all award categories – Technological Excellence, Food Safety, Marketing Excellence and Industry Leadership, a first ever for the Philippines.
Awarded “Superbrands” Certification 2014
It was also in 2009 when BAVI ventured into the oven-roasted chicken under the “Chooks-to-Go” brand name – the first store of which opened in Bulacan in February of the same year. Its unique selling proposition of being “masarap kahit walang sauce!” is what set it apart from other salty roasted chicken brands that need sauce, leading to the overwhelming enthusiastic approval of satisfied customers. Chooks-to-Go is now the country’s newest Superbrand, an independent global arbiter on branding which recognizes the world’s leading brands.
Employee Engagement
BAVI has received global recognition for the way it cares for its people. In the recent Toastmasters International District 75 Convention, BAVI and several of its employees bagged numerous awards, including the Crystal Globe Award for enhancing its employee engagement through the continuing support of the programs in communication and leadership provided by Toastmasters. The company set up its own and evolved its best practices by executing team-building activities such as community involvement, sports fests and many more. It also put up the BAVI Academy which provides non-stop and comprehensive training across all employee levels, from the store crew to executives, reinforcing one of its greatest advantages – its superior pool of talented people.
Ronald Daniel Ricaforte Mascariñas, BAVI’s President and General Manager, led the modernization of the company. With his style of management, Mascariñas garnered the Communications and Leadership Award, which is the highest award that Toastmasters can bestow to a non-member. In this year’s Outstanding Professional Awards, Mascariñas is one of the awardees, nominated by Superbrands for his contribution to the Philippine poultry industry. “When you have defined roles, the results come fast. When you are trusted to execute defined goals, the growth accelerates faster. And when you have the best people, you become the fastest growing,” Mascariñas says.
Just this year, the company was a finalist in the Best Newcomer Category in Investors in People awards in London – where companies from 75 countries worldwide with remarkable people management practices participated. BAVI was the only Asian company nominated in the aforementioned category.
A member of the BAVI Toastmasters Club, BAVI’s AVP for Legal and Human Resources Atty. Nedo L. Sasing won in his Area and Division level International Speech competition. He also garnered 1st runner up honors in the International Prepared Speech Contest on his first try, besting 10 other division champions.
Last November, BAVI’s Marketing Group Manager, Kathlene S. Gomez was chosen as one of the twelve winners of the prestigious Young Market Masters Awards given by Mansmith and Fielders, Inc. Now, Gomez is set to take her MBA in the UK this September, with a Leadership Scholarship Grant from the university, coupled with a scholarship and paid study leave from BAVI.
“The company treats its employees like business partners, with each person being a valuable stakeholder. This grant shows the willingness of BAVI to invest in its people, especially since we share the same goal and vision. It’s investing in my personal dream, as I am also invested in the company’s long-term goals,” says Gomez.