Olivia Limpe-Aw, the president and leader of the country’s longest-running distillery, Destileria Limtuaco, has directed her family’s business to global reach, through her sheer knack for innovation and gritty determination to grab opportunities.
Destileria Limtuaco has produced world-class distilled spirits and wines for local and global consumers. In 2002, the fifth-generation master blender spearheaded the creation of Paradise Mango Rum Liqueur, a mango- and rum-based spirit, as an answer to the company’s call for innovation and export potential.
Limpe-Aw says, “It was a totally new category; there was no such product in the local and international markets. We gave it a nice packaging that showcased Filipino iconography and made it a product that actually tasted yummy, something even a nondrinker would surely appreciate and enjoy.”
Today, Destileria Limtuaco boasts over 50 SKUs (stock keeping units), including a dozen brands in its Philippine Crafts Spirits line. Manufactured with 100-percent local ingredients, these products sustain local farmers and their communities.
Asean Business Awards
Through constant innovation, hard work and passion, Limpe-Aw and Destileria Limtuaco have caught the attention of the Asean Business Advisory Council, and was nominated by Go Negosyo.
Destileria Limtuaco bagged the Priority Integration Sector Excellence Award (Agri-Food) in this year’s Asean Business Awards. Organized by the Asean Business Advisory Council.
The awards focus on the region’s outstanding business enterprises and business leaders, innovative entrepreneurs, and inspiring youth and women who have excelled in their fields.
“Bagging this award is a very important milestone for me and our company. Creating our Philippine Craft Spirits line using endemic tropical fruits and agricultural produce, and proudly branding, packaging, and marketing them as Philippine products has enabled us to go global,” Limpe-Aw says.
“We always put a conscious effort to proudly tell the world that we are a Philippine company. We truly took to heart the very essence of the Asean’s preferential trading agreements and treaties that encourage the growth of regional trade among Southeast Asian nations. Hence, we are a beneficiary of the Asean’s programs.”