Th e PRESIDENT
SID DE MESA Founder SID-ANN PRINTING SERVICES, INC.
A vision in print
“I always try to look at the worst-case scenario and make sure that I have contingency plans for each of them.” PRINTING
A few years from now, Isidro “Sid” de Mesa, founder of Sid-Ann Printing Services, Inc., will most likely have the luxury to retire from work.
Take, for instance, his company, Sid-Ann Printing Services.
He will probably have the capacity to spend the rest of days touring the world with his wife Mary Ann, and the couple, though greying, will more or less have enough energy and enthusiasm to fully enjoy the fruits of their labor. This will most likely happen because Sid has already envisioned it. And if one were to examine the turning points of his life, one would realize
that he has quite the habit of making such projections come true.
Initially an artist working with the creative department of then Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel, Sid didn’t start off with the idea of developing his own printing business. But since tying the knot and having five kids with Mary Ann, he realized that he should be earning a sizeable amount of cash in the decades to come.
He envisioned himself doing just that, years down the line. He left his job, started the company and led it to a respectable position in the industry. Since its conceptualization 20 years ago, SidAnn has become a powerhouse managed by both Sid and Mary Ann. With a sterling track record and a pool of internationally recognized clients, it has become one of the biggest names in the local printing industry. “We didn’t plan it but the opportunity was there and I knew that it was the path that I had to take,” he shares. “So I took it.” But that’s the condensed version of the story. Going through the fine print of Sid-Ann’s origins, one would find that it’s not as simple as a man having a vision and seeing that vision come to pass. The idea for Sid-Ann all started when a Japanese businessman working with Sid for the Japanese translations of Westin’s marketing paraphernalia started a printing company back in the 80s. The man, impressed with Sid’s dedication to work and his skills as a creative, invited the latter to leave his job and join the then burgeoning venture. “At first, I didn’t want to,” Sid admits. “Working with Westin, I was already the head of the creative department so my take home pay was at about R15,000 to R20,000 a month. That was a big amount at that time. So, I told him that if I’m going to do this, my salary needed to be impressive because I would also be an employee for him and, at that time, I had five children (he now has a total seven children). I asked for a salary of about R75,000 including incidentals. I didn’t imagine that he would give me the salary I was asking for but he did.” And so Sid left the hotel and joined the Japanese businessman. For a time, their company did well. Majority of the clients it received were big paying foreign accounts that sufficiently sustained the operation. Sid’s experience in it also gave him an in-depth perspective on the processes and the nitty-gritty needed in running a printing business. Unfortunately, the venture suffered a major setback. The Japanese businessman’s family had a health crisis that severely affected the operation thus forcing Sid to look for alternatives. But what seemed like an unfortunate event led to yet another window of opportunity. Two of Sid’s former bosses at Westin needed someone involved with the printing business. Knowing that Sid did have extensive experience with one, they tapped him to oversee their printing requirements. “Those two people gave me my first accounts,” says Sid. “And the company grew from there. But it was a slow pro-
cess.” VISIONARY Applying what he learned from the Japanese printing company while frequently trusting his gut as a visionary, Sid meticulously developed a solid operation now known as Sid-Ann Printing Services. Recognizing that his reliance in other printers would be detrimental to his professional growth, he and his wife pooled their resources together and invested in a small facility initially composed of just one machine. “It was September 21, 1996,” he says without a hint of hesitation, “a Heidelberg single color.” From a single machine operating in just one office, Sid-Ann printing bloomed. These days, the company is a solid 20-year-old business providing an array of commercial printing services to meet different marketing and advertising needs. From posters to flyers, from manuals to business cards, from magazines to calendars, Sid-Ann touches upon various needs with its operation.
tience for your customers, your suppliers, people and yourself. “Learn to be patient, not to destroy your client relationship and as much as possible build a strong foundation with your clients,” says Sid, who patterned his management style based on what he learned from his former bosses and works at Westin. Over the years, Sid has learned to twist his leadership style based on the needs of his staff. “Management style should always adapt to the different needs of your people,” says Sid, an easy boss, saying, “I am not a strict boss.” In fact, Sid is the kind of boss who refused to fire people. “I actually do not fire people because I know the feeling of not having a job especially if you have a family to feed. I accept almost everyone who were referred to me and I immediately give them business and hone their skills at the same time,” says the generous boss. Sid is also training his children to become involve in the family business.
The company also offers graphic design services to aid its clients by producing attention-grabbing collaterals. It handles large format printing for conventions, exhibits and special events. Finally, its team also has the capacity to aid its customers and designing and setting up exhibit booths.
“My kids now help me with the business applying their own individual knowledge,” says Sid. One is managing the human resource concerns and legal matters, while another is helping in the marketing aspect.
“The key to success is anticipation,” says Sid, and the fact that his company can provide solutions for various marketing and advertising needs — expected or otherwise — speaks in behalf of this belief.
But anticipation is not enough to run a business. For that matter, having a vision is not enough to make it come to pass.
“I always try to look at the worst-case scenario and make sure that I have contingency plans for each of them,” he adds. The ENTREPRENEUR Life as an entrepreneur is never easy. But along the way, one has to learn. “You have to learn all the ropes of your business. I do not believe with industry partners. You should learn everything and not rely on your partners because you cannot tell your faith in it. If you only trust yourself then, yourself cannot betray you,” says Sid. “Find your niche and make good at it,” says Sid. But most of all, he says, “Be passionate in your field of work and make good at it.” Passion is what fuels an entrepreneur to hurdle obstacles and rise from every setback. If there is any virtue an entrepreneur must possess, it is patience. Bring a lot of patience: pa-
CHALLENGES
Industriousness, determination and faith were all factors that came into play. Sid-Ann after all was not free of troubles. Elements of competition and uncertainty were common setbacks that arose ever so often. The task of tending to the burgeoning business was also no easy feat. There have been cases when he has gotten ill due to the amount of work he put himself through. There were also bouts of financial burdens that troubled him. “There were nights when I could not sleep because of all the troubles we went through,” says Sid. “There were financial troubles and it came to a point when we really experienced difficulty. This is why I’ve become such a giving person now that the company is doing well. I knew what it was like to be in a difficult monetary situation.” Troubles aside, however, Sid pushed through. Supported by his wife who eventually joined the company after leaving her job at the Commission on Elections, he continued to develop the company past its perceived limits. And the result
was no less than stellar. RELIABLE PARTNER Visit the website of Sid-Ann, browse through its contents and find that it refers to itself as the “reliable company.” A bold claim, for sure. But they are not the only ones saying it. At the Corporate Giveaways Buyers’ Show, a yearly event that brings together the top players of the business gifts and office solutions sector, Sid-Ann is not just known as a long time exhibitor (they’ve been participating in the event for the last 10 years). They are also known as “the overnight printer.” It’s a nickname the company earned because of its capacity to deliver rush, but high quality print jobs for its fellow exhibitors. Raquel & Bogee Romero, the siblings that run Worldexco, the company that organizes the show, have had nothing but good things to say about Sid-Ann.
country, and its clientele, which includes many of the top companies in the Philippines, remains ever growing. It was just as he envisioned. But regardless of how much he has grown professionally or how much he has achieved, he has not forgotten why he wanted success in the first place. “Family,” he says, “is very important to me.” Indeed. Even though the man constantly finds himself busied by work, he does not neglect his familial duties. Back when he was starting out, he would make it a habit to take his wife to work. And now that she’s with him, he makes it a habit to drive for his kids. “You can take anything away from me,” he says. “…but not my family.” Sid is just too glad to have instilled in his children respect and love of parents. He has raised his kids very well.
“Yes, they are reliable, but more than that, we really look at them as our friends and partners. It makes us happy to see how much their company has grown, just as our show has grown over the years,” says Romero.
“They respect me in such a way that they must wait for decisions I have yet to declare, they still ask permission from me and if I don’t want, they will respect that. I am happy to spend every single time I have with my family,” says Sid.
Corporate Giveaways Buyers’ Show or (CG2016) is the country’s longest running and best-attended corporate gifts show in the Philippines. Now on their 29th year, CG2016 has successfully linked suppliers with thousands of top company executives and decision makers searching for their year-round giveaways, promotional merchandise incentive, office solutions, and other corporate needs.
If budget permits, Sid treats his family to a vacation. Sid made a promise to his wife to embark on a journey to the Holy Land before they reach their senior years. Sid is now 55 years old.
Through the years, Corporate Giveaways Buyer’s Show has given hundreds of small and medium business owners a venue to market and launch new products and services, get in touch with old clients, and meet potential customers. By virtue of being what it is — a platform that brings together the major players of the industry and their prime stakeholders — Sid cites the Corporate Giveaways Buyers’ Show as an important factor in his company’s success. But since Sid-Ann is what it is — a company professionally capable of milking every opportunity for progress — it did manage to maximize what the show offered. “The annual Corporate Giveaways Show introduced Sid-Ann Printing to numerous clients,” Sid said of the show. “It managed to really bring the company out there, and we’re proud that many of those companies that we met when we first joined the show, are still our clients today.” FAMILY Looking back, Sid admits that he has come a long way. Currently, Sid-Ann Printing remains as one of the top commercial printing services in the
“It is my wife who will tell me if we have a budget to spare for an entire family vacation. Since family is a very important aspect of my life, my business goes around with them, too. I already learned how to manage my time from being their boss and being their dad,” says Sid. This is also part of why he wants to retire in 10 years time. He wants to be with his wife more, to take her around the world and give her the luxury he’s been dreaming to provide for her as gratitude for all her support. It will most likely come to pass. Sid wants it to. He certainly has the capacity to make things happen. Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/a-vision-in-print/#ldAQlwIBOkxRPw6Q.99
HUMA N RESOURCES DEPT.
PROVISION PHOTO FOR HR DEPT.
A DMIN & ACCOUNTIN G
CREATIVE DEPT.
MA RKETIN G & SALES DEPT.
PROVISION PHOTOS FOR SALES TEAM
PHOTOGRA PHY & AV P
PRE-PROD UCTION FACILITIES
EPSON 7880 - DIGITAL IMAGE PROOFING
CANON IR 3220
FUJI XEROX
CTP - COMPUTER TO PLATE
PRE-PRESS DIGITAL IMAGING SYSTEM
LA RGE FORMAT PRINTIN G LARGE FORMAT TARPAULIN, VISUALS FOR DISPLAYS & GONDOLAS, MOBILE BILLBOARDS, STICKERS ETC.
MUTOH VALUE JET
VISTA 10FT PRINTER
PRESS MACHINES 4COLORS HEIDELBERG SPEEDMASTER
2 COLORS HEIDELBERG SORDZ
1 COLOR HEIDELBERG KORA
POST-PROD UCTION FACILITIES
PRINTOOLS Perfect Binding Machine
BAUM FOLDER Folding Machine
SRFM 1000 Lamination Machine
BINDERY DEPT.
INTEGRATED EXHIBIT DISPLAY SYSTEM CREATIVE DESIGN TO FABRICATION OF BOOTH DISPLAY FOR CORPORATE PRODUCT LAUNCH, TRADE SHOWS & SPECIAL MARKETING AND SALES EVENTS
The RELIABLE COMPANY SID-ANN PRINTING is a wholly - owned Filipino full service commercial printing firm specializing in high-quality printing at an affordable price. With over 15 years in the print industry, SID-ANN Printing has established a steadily growing stable business that makes full use of its resources in dedicated service to achieve total client satisfaction in every job they deliver. The diverse experience, inherent creativity and industriousness of its principals married with the skill, competence, discipline and team-spirit of its work force ensures that all its requirements are delivered with utmost customer satisfaction through prompt and quality service. The sincere concern, friendly and dedicated accounts and customer service teams are always happy to discuss your marketing communication and printing requirements. SID-ANN Printing’s mission and vision is to continuously be in the forefront of the industry through innovative thinking, professional service and genuine concern for all its clients’ design, print and practically all creative requirements.
The DYNAMIC TANDEM Isidro “Sid� De Mesa brings with him over 30 years experience in graphic design and printing with the bulk of it as a key player in the art departments of merchandising chain, Gift Gate and Japanese fastfood giant Tokyo Tokyo; after which he headed the art divisions of various hotels such as the Philippine Village Hotel, Silahis International Hotel (now Grand Boulevard), the Westin Philippine Plaza (Sofitel Philippine Plaza) and a japanese owned design company, Himiko Arts and Concepts, His hands-on training and experience in hotel and restaurant artistic & print requirements have earned him the knowledge and strength in all aspects of design and print production. Armed with his years of training in printing, he solidifies the team with his expertise in design and production. Completing the tandem is his wife, Mary Ann, With a solid management background, they established SIDANN Printing in August 1998. Being a small yet determined business tandem, they steered their company to greater heights today by continuous acquisition of modern equipment, which has enabled SID-ANN to offer highre quality products and services to always meet the diverse and demanding print requirements and creative communication needs of clients.
WE CREATIVELY DESIGN A ND PROD UCE A BOUT A NYTHIN G YOUR BUSINESS REQUIRES
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Sidann Printing (Main Office) 1771 Piy Margal St. Sampaloc, Manila Tel. 741 2207 • 254 0418 • Fax 781 4929 Highrez Graphics 1771 Piy Margal cor. Miguelin St. Sampaloc, Manila Tel. 254 0418 • Fax 781 4929 Flying Colors Unit 1A Cortez Bldg., 960 E. Rodriquez Sr. Ave., Quezon City Tel. 470 7297 • 470 7298