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The
Early Years
Manco’s roots go back 80 years to a City whose commerce was closely
linked to Manila Bay and to the Pasig River, an important artery through
which inland goods were brought to the Port along the Bay and from there
shipped out.
On
February 20, 1924, Manila Cordage Company, a subsidiary of Tubbs Cordage
Company of San Francisco, began operations at the junction of Cristobal
and Otis streets in Paco, which had easy access to the Pasig. Its basic
raw material was abaca, also known as Manila hemp, which by then
was a much sought after commodity in North America.
From
the start, the company was outward looking. Manco ropes found their way
around the globe. Although the bulk went to the Americas, the rest were
exported to nearby ports in Java, Sumatra, and Celebes (of the present
day Indonesian republic), the Federated Malay States, the Straits
Settlements, Siam (Thailand), French Indo China (territories of Laos,
Cambodia, and Vietnam), and parts of the southwest coast of China.
Interrupted Growth
In
December of 1941, the Pacific War broke out and ravaged the country.
For the next three years, the mill was run as a branch of the Tokyo Rope
Works and its managers imprisoned at a concentration camp. In early
1945, Manila was liberated and by mid-year, the mill was back in
business. The first ropes produced were for the U.S. Army.
By the
late 1950’s, the Paco mill was overflowing. Manila itself was getting
crowded. Manco had to relocate.
The
Middle Years
Groundbreaking for the new mill in Makati took place in 1964. A year
later, the work was finished; the mill was cited as the “most modern
rope facility in the Far East.” In 1966, Manila Cordage began the
production of large-sized plaited synthetic ropes, the first to do so in
the Philippines.
The
Seventies ushered in a major organization change. A group of Filipino
businessmen acquired majority control of the Company. Under the new
management team, Manco entered a new growth stage.
A New
Growth Stage
Manila
Cordage has led the local rope industry. It has been “Number One” for
the last thirty three years.
Manco
has two focused mills: Synthetics and Hard Fiber. Quality assurance
remains a major focus of the Company. It constantly endeavors to
improve production processes and to upgrade equipment whenever possible.
Manco
is the only ISO9001:2000 Certified cordage manufacturer in the
Philippines.
While
the demand for synthetic cordage has leapt tremendously over the years,
Manila rope remains an important product. The reason for this is
simple: Manila ropes are environment friendly. Moreover, they are
required by certain industrial operations like oil drilling and
construction.
Manco's
new home located in the country's industrial hub. A 6.4 hectare
property large enough to accommodate future growth.
The
Company has been blessed with hardworking and loyal personnel who have
ensured its continued growth.
If the Past is Prologue to the Future, Manila Cordage Company can look
ahead with confidence to the coming years.
Manco celebrated its 99th year anniversary in 2023.
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