Jolliant Cooks Up Business Expansion With a Reliable Energy Partner
The name Jolliant may not be familiar, but if you’ve ever found yourself walking through the fluorescent-lit aisles of a 7-Eleven searching for a hot meal, then you’ve probably tried one of their many products.
The company is responsible for microwaveable rice meals under the Hotta Rice and Busog Meals brands. They offer a wide menu of dishes that cover breakfast, lunch, and dinner – ready in three minutes or less.
Spotting an opportunity
Started in 1992 by Noemi Dominguez, the then accountant worked for the commissary that supplied meals to the convenience store chain. But her company decided to give up the 7-Eleven account which, back then, only had a handful of branches. Dominguez saw an opportunity.
With an initial capital of P60,000, Jolliant RNN Corporation was created to continue providing meals to 7-Eleven. Dominguez took the lead in developing and testing each recipe.
Jolliant RNN Corporation provides meals to the 7-Eleven chain. Each recipe is tested and developed by its president and CEO, Noemi Dominguez.
In the beginning, however, rent, equipment, and raw materials consumed their capital to the point that Dominguez’s assets were sold to keep her from falling into debt. She managed to sustain the company by negotiating better credit terms from suppliers, and faster payment schedules from clients.
Reaching out for help
As 7-Eleven began to expand, Jolliant had to keep up with the demand and build a new commissary in Taytay, Rizal. The additional production also meant an increase in their power requirements. In the process, the food company also got in touch with Meralco Biz for a free power consult to assess how to make their new commissary more energy efficient.
The power distributor matched the power requirements in Taytay with the corresponding electrical load, saving Jolliant millions. They then plowed their savings back into the company, purchasing modern sealing machines.
Meralco's free power consult allowed Jolliant to save millions of pesos.
As 7-Eleven grew, so did Jolliant. Reaching out to Meralco a second time, they enrolled in the Peak/Off-Peak Program which allowed them to shift their operations to off-peak hours when electricity rates are lower, thereby generating additional monthly savings.
“We had to expand to meet increasing demand,” said Dominguez. “Our kitchens and cold storage run on a 24/7 schedule and Meralco’s free power consult allowed us to save millions.”
Nearly three decades since they began, Jolliant now produces 125,000 chilled food packs daily from five commissaries. That’s more than 3.8 million meals a month for over 2,200 7-Eleven stores across the country -- a testament that Jolliant’s packed food products are now a major player for fast, convenient, and budget-friendly meals for people on the go.
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