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Moving experienceJosé Juan Gutiérrez Toribio moves things from A to B, and he does it so well and so successfully that he’s just been given a prize for the creation of Imex - the Tenerife based world-wide transport company.
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 | | José Juan Gutiérrez Toribio, Imex worldwide S.L. creator and director |
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By Sheila Collis - 24.05.2005 - Born in 1966 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Juan now chooses to live in La Matanza to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the North and the Canarian cuisine available at the local restaurants.
He became what he is today thanks to what he calls “auto-formation”. Course after course, night school and on-line – mainly in transport, sales and marketing, gathering information and contacts and planning for the day he would be able to set up on his own. After various career moves, in finance, insurance etc, he found himself in charge of the local DHL office, the messenger service company and in just three years he took the company from one million pesetas turnover to 720 million – José Juan had found his niche. After a short step backwards, “I was looking more at the job title than the job prospects” he started Imex Worldwide SL in 1998 with a borrowed office, borrowed capital and his secretary from his previous company. Starting with just two employees and virtually nothing, the company now employs 20 people, owns its offices, its own software, fleet of vans and lorries and last year had a turnover of almost six million euros.
“Thanks to all the courses, we were able to produce a superb business plan” – the business started with three associates although it now belongs just to José Juan - “it was so good, CajaCanarias congratulated us” and the bank have been helping and supporting them ever since. “I think it’s important too that if you start a business with associates that you complement each other. If you are good at finances and I’m good at finances, we’ll have something to talk to each other about, but the business will be a flop, but if you can handle cash and I know how to sell, then we’ve got a viable business on our hands. We’ve never made a loss since the day we started….The first time you sit in your own office in your own company, it’s wonderful, you can’t describe the feeling but it’s worth the struggle.”
Imex specialise in group containers, what are sometimes known as split or broken cargoes, where you can rent the amount of cubic space you need and they jig-saw puzzle different loads safely together within the same container. It works out a lot cheaper for the client but is a lot more complicated to organise well - something they have obviously managed to achieve as they now oversee 75 – 85 per cent of all the split cargo container business from the UK. Would the proposed new port at Granadilla affect his business? “I can’t see the container traffic diverting to the new port at Granadilla if and when they get it built because 60 per cent of the market is in the North and Centre of the island and the additional transport from the south would be prohibitive”.
Son of a professional footballer – his father played for eight years in the first division for Las Palmas and a year for Tenerife – transport seems an odd choice for a business, but José Juan astutely explained, “I looked for things people would always need, not fads, and this is an island. Whatever they buy or make, they are probably going to have to transport a large part of it in or out by air or sea”. And transport goods is what he does, over oceans, continents and borders -including from March this year all the customs controls and facilities - whether for some of the largest businesses on the islands, house removals or small one-off single item jobs for individuals, quickly and efficiently. The company also applied for and was given, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certificate 9002 for their quality control policies.
With Imex up and running, he then started two computer technology companies which have since been sold, two estate agent franchises and a business consultancy. All this leaves little time for hobbies although he loves golf, “they say that if you have a high handicap you need to look at your swing, and if you have a low handicap then you need to look at your company,” he teased. He gets up extra early on Sunday mornings to be able to fit a round in and still be able to spend some quality time with his family.
When the competition was announced by FYDE-CajaCanarias - the non-profit making body for training, company information, investigation and recognition - they began to look through all the conditions as regards financial stability, growth rate, employment and future expansion possibilities. “We thought - ‘that’s us’ so we decided to enter and we won”. The award was a statuette created by a Canarian artist, but to José Juan it was much more, it was an incentive to continue striving and a vindication of all he’d achieved. “I believe all successful business people are a little lacking in self-belief, this prize has meant a tremendous boost to all of us”. The jury’s round-up gave the award to the company in the new ‘Successful Business Person’ category, for its achievements in its commercial trajectory, its innovative character, creation of employment and high level of quality. “Just seven years after presenting a joint project as part of a managerial course, I was back in the same lecture hall to receive this award.”
Modestly he attributes the success of his company to his team. “The human factor of any company is the most valuable asset they possess - to be supported, encouraged and motivated. A good business person doesn’t necessarily need to know everything, but he or she does need to surround themselves with quality staff who do know what’s necessary. We all live for our clients, if anything goes wrong with a shipment that’s outside our control as inevitably sometimes happens - bad weather, breakdowns etc. we at least try and make sure that they are kept as well informed as we can. We all, every one of us, feels badly if something doesn’t go right, but normally each and every one of us enjoys what we do”.
Inspired by Amancio Ortega of Inditex and Ramón Areces of Corte Inglés, his office is very representative of the man, a reflection of his simple tastes and dedication to business. A large russet velvet wall hanging brings relaxation, the bookcase is crammed with courses and business tomes and the walls with framed certificates and awards. “I like it here, it’s the only place my wife let me decorate to my taste,” he joked. “Seriously, you spend so long at work, you have to find something you like doing”.
Hard working and not very superstitious, he is however a strong believer in fate – he met his Norwegian born wife Janecke during Carnaval 25 years ago. She was the daughter of the captain of Fred Olsen’s Black Prince, a cruise ship which was a frequent visitor to the islands. They weren’t to see each other for another ten years, meeting again in Carnaval after his first marriage had broken up. “We moved in together almost immediately and we’ve never looked back.” The couple have three children - a ten year old boy and seven year old twins a boy and a girl. His eldest daughter from his first marriage was 18 on the day of the prize presentation and he dedicated the award to her.
José Juan has no plans for retirement, “I’ll work till I drop and even then they’ll have to put a big rock on the coffin, ‘cause I’m capable of coming back.” Future plans include writing a bestseller about everything he’s learned and how to apply it - for people who want to start a business, or maybe to help to train others giving talks. “I’ve been given so much help and I’d like to repay that somehow, give something back.”
Canarian entrepreneurs could do no better than use his inspiring story as a model and his enthusiasm, dedication and sheer enjoyment of his work is an example to us all. Juan José smiles as he quotes what appears to be his ‘lite motif’ for his working life - “I believe in luck and the harder I work the luckier I am”. His outstanding success speaks for itself.
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