FIT MART GROUP OF COMPANIES is well-remembered of its humble beginning. It certainly did not come from a superb design. It simply came from an opportunity presented by a family whom all these years, their efforts and hard work paid off. For how many decades…Fit Mart Group of Companies has made a full range breakthrough in the commercial industry. Its success is marked with an excellent service to growing Municipalities and Cities of SOCSKSARGEN region by providing quality products and services to the needs of the people.
The humble beginning of the Company started 1967, a hardworking and vibrant Chinese Businessman named ONG CHIA started a business he named New State Shoe Emporium located along Alunan Avenue in the Municipality of Marbel – now City of Koronadal. More than a decade later, after his business has made a remarkable growth and the opportunity to engage into a bigger business venture is very feasible, he expanded the business on October 25, 1980 and named it MARBEL FIT MART, INC. a corporation engaged in DRYGOODS business which aimed to offer “EVERYTHING THAT FITS”. With the presence and the help of the young and dynamic sons, a modern approach of management was adopted. Their ingenuity helped the company bring another new outlook on the edge of technology to move on to more progressive plans and development which led to a unanimous decision on engaging a SUPERMARKET business in the year 1987.
After several years in operation, the management has decided to invest more by putting up stores in some progressive towns in the region. On February 28, 1992, another store, TACURONG FIT MART, INC. was opened in the heart of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat. While modernizing its store operations, the company paved the way to cater the growing tourist market in the region. On May 22, 1995, Ramona Plaza Hotel was opened along Gensan Drive. To complement with the hotel business, Casa Ramona and The Fresh Baker was opened on July 18, 1995 and Marbel Steam Laundry on April 16, 1996 as part of the marketing strategy.
The venture of the management has never stopped. When development is in the picture, Fit Mart Group of Companies is on the scene. The company opened a 5,000 square meter Department Store and Supermarket in General Santos City, GENSAN FIT MART was opened and started operating on August 8, 1998 catering the needs of the middle and upper class segment of the City. Improved service and providing quality products is always an aim of every businessman, with the hope that the business he/she has put up will become a LANDMARK. The Realization of the Company’s biggest Dream happened on March 15, 2003, 23 years (more or less) after its foundation, where its biggest branch opened for business in Koronadal as a MALL – FIT MART MALL OF MARBEL. It is a 4 hectare-wide MALL, engaged in leasing, wholesale and retail trade of both drygoods and grocery, located along National Highway of the City of Koronadal, 2.1km from downtown proper. Though the biggest dream has already been realized in 2003, yet, moved by dedication to excellent service, the Company is planning to engage in operating Friendly Mart Stores and Distribution businesses.
The City of General Santos was seen to have a rapid economic growth and to cater the growing needs of the people of General Santos City, Friendly Mart Gensan located along Acharon Boulevard was opened for business on July 01, 2006. The management has also seen the opportunity of putting up a store in the progressive municipality of Surallah South Cotabato, thus on November 22, 2008, another store, FRIENDLY MART SURALLAH, was opened in the heart of Municipality of Surallah, South Cotabato. At its first year of operation, Friendly Mart Surallah was operating solely as a grocery store, but on December 05, 2009, a year after its first opening, the first ever department store offering variety of drygoods was opened for business at the second floor of Friendly Mart Surallah. On November 22, 2013, on its 5th year anniversary, Friendly Mart Surallah has inaugurated its newly constructed modern building and is now providing complete shopping experience and convinience for the the people of Surallah and nearby municipalities. Exactly 30 years of FIT MART GROUP in the industry, another store bearing the name was born in the heart of the Municipality of Polomolok, South Cotabato. On October 10, 2010 at exactly 10:00 a.m. POLOMOLOK FIT MART was opened for business to serve the people of the fast developing locality of Polomolok South Cotabato.
Further to the liquidation of Fit Mart Mall operations, the management has also reached a decision that each store will be operated independently from each other to give focus on each operation in order to maximize its strengths considering the imminent stiff competition with the new players in the industry.
It was in the first quarter of 2012 that the board of directors has effectively approved the assignment of new management for each independent operation. Tacurong Fit Mart, Inc. is to be headed by DELFIN O. VILLARUEL , DVO Realty Development Corporation is to be headed by DINA O. HIDALGO, Marbel Fit Mart, Inc. (main branch) along Osmena Street is to be headed by DOMINGO V. ONG , while Brothers D & D, Inc. (Gensan Fit Mart) , Friendly Mart Gensan, Polomolok Fit Mart , Friendly Mart Surallah and DSO Global Distribution, Inc. will be headed by DANILO V. ONG. This decision took effect last January 19, 2012.
The group headed by DANILO V. ONG has immediately hit the ground and formed its core organizational structure with DANILO V. ONG as President with SUSAN D. ONG his wife as Vice President & Chief Finance Officer and their children namely DANIEL STEVEN D. ONG, DANNY SYLVESTER D. ONG, JR. , DEMI SUZANNE D. ONG and DAN SHANDY D. ONG as members of the Board of Directors. DANIEL STEVEN D. ONG is designated to handle the operations of DSO Global Distribution, Inc. On March 19, 2011, a new distribution was formed and named FIVE DRAGONS DISTRIBUTION, its operations being headed by DANNY SYLVESTER D. ONG, JR. and distributed Peerless Products Manufacturing Corporation, Papertech Incorporated, Papertech, Inc., D’ Genesis Manufacturing Corporation, 888 Kahamis Ventures, Hoc Guan Manufacturing Corporation and Mighty Cigarette Brand in SOCSARGEN, Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato City, Cotabato Province and parts of Maguindanao. As a way of looking back at the humble beginning of Fit Mart, DEMI’S FOOTWEAR was formed and started operating last April 8, 2012. Its operation is retail and wholesale trade of Footwear products catering local market and neighboring municipalities. The store is conveniently located at Morrow Street, Koronadal City.
Another milestone happened in August 8, 2014 when DSSD FAMILY REALTY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION was born.
While the dynamics of the wholesale and retail industry and distribution continues to change and evolve as well as with the ever stiff but friendly competition, Fit Mart will always continue to hold on its strengths and keep up with demand of times and continue to provide its quality products and services to its valued customers and clients as Fit Mart believed that it has already made its mark in the heart of the people. Fit Mart, All The Right Things Beyond Value!