The Condura brand of refrigerators may just be over 30 years old, but the company that manufactures this line of thoughtfully made refrigerators has been around since the early ’60s.

In 1962, patriarch Jose N. Concepcion Sr. started Concepcion Industries Inc. (CII) after a comfortable career as chief executive of a multinational firm. He was 60 at the time, but still held a deep desire to help Filipinos build better lives, and believed in their indomitable spirit.

Fast-forward to 2019 with Condura (Concepcion Durables Inc.) about to launch a new range of “no-frost” refrigerators, with members of the second- and third-generation Concepcion clan still working closely together.

In her opening speech, vice chair and treasurer of Concepcion Industrial Corp. Renna C. Hechanova-Angeles mentioned how Jose Sr. passed on to them a set of principles that he lived and worked by: “hard work, involvement, attention to what might seem to others as detail, and integrity.”

Hechanova-Angeles, who is also company director, said that “for decades, his vision and principles bred a culture of excellence and corporate responsibility.”

DNA

“It’s part of our DNA,” said Ton A. Concepcion, grandson of Jose Sr., and the chair of Condura. When he’s traveling in the country during weekends, he makes it a point to visit convenience stores and restaurants.

“Sometimes they’re Condura users, sometimes they aren’t, but what I’m really interested in is how people use their refrigerators, and what they want from their refrigerators,” Concepcion said.

Some people find it odd for a stranger to want to look into their refrigerators, but once he identifies himself as coming from Condura, they relax considerably.

“I do this every weekend when I go out of town. I love going around, meeting people. I don’t think of it as a chore, it’s in our DNA. When I tell them I’m from Condura and that they’ll help me design the new refrigerator, they get excited. They’re interested that I’m interested.”

Concepcion is very approachable. He speaks in an easy manner that immediately puts people at ease.

“I have so many pictures of refrigerator interiors,” he said. One thing he noticed during his travels is how so many Filipinos with huge families reuse 1-liter and 1.5-liter soft drink bottles as water containers. “They put them in their refrigerators but since they’re stored upright, they take up so much space. I thought, why don’t we come up with something like a wine rack so that they can store these bottles in a row, lying down and not take up too much precious space?” Concepcion said.

The rack is just one of the “Filipinnovations” originated by Condura. “I call it #thatssopinoy.”

Concepcion also noted how many Filipinos prefer to place the kaldero (stove-top pot) in their refrigerators instead of keeping leftovers in smaller reusable containers. The design team behind Condura then came up with sturdy wire organizers that can be reconfigured dozens of ways, depending on the users’ needs.

“This is what my grandfather meant when it comes to attention to detail. It’s not just about design elements but also knowing our consumer. The products have to be tough, durable and really relevant for Filipinos,” Concepcion said.

Among the five newly launched refrigerators, Prima is their single-door entry-level design priced at approximately P20,000. With built-in inverter technology, some units consume just P6 worth of electricity daily.

“We are one of the more reasonably priced refrigerator brands given all the features,” said Harold Pernikar Jr., president of Concepcion Industrial Corp.’s Consumer Lifestyle Solutions. “It’s not about being the cheapest but delivering the best value to our customers.”

Each of the five no-frost refrigerators caters to the specific needs each household may have. They are equipped with an inverter compressor that provides low noise, fast cooling energy efficiency, and an R600a Refrigerant that provides non-toxic, environment friendly cooling perforce with faster heat absorption compared to other refrigerants.

“In the end, it’s really about making people happy, making a difference in their lives,” Concepcion said. Jose Sr. would have been proud.