Mighty Corporation (Tobacco Company)

Among the Philippines' top 1,000 corporations, Mighty Corporation (MC) is a fully integrated 71-year old tobacco company located in the City of Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines. The factory lies in a 9-hectare property 50 kilometers north of Manila. Mighty traces its roots to La Campana Fabrica de Tobaccos, Inc. This company was founded in 1945 by a highly entrepreneurial immigrant named Wong Chu King and several partners. The company celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2015, basking in the success of its strategy to win market share. From its first factory located along Tayabas St. in Manila, La Campana produced native cigarettes as well as locally popular cortos and regaliz cigars. A second factory was built in 1948 along Pasong Tamo, Makati. In 1951, the company acquired the land in Barangay Olympia Makati that now serves as the headquarters of Mighty Corporation. In 1963, Wong Chu King founded Tobacco Industries of the Philippines (TIP) with a modern cigarette factory located in Malolos, Bulacan. From that sprawling nine-hectare factory, the company produced American-blended cigarettes using the brand names Duke, Windsor and Tricycle. The company went through a difficult period from 1965 to 1982. The unsinkable Wong Chu King persevered, however. By 1985, the company reestablished itself as Mighty Corporation, acquiring the trademarks of its rival Alhambra Industries in 1993. This enabled the company to corner the native cigarette market. Between 2001 and 2007, Mighty invested in modern plants and state-of-the-art packaging facilities. This enabled Mighty to achieve a fully integrated production and packing line. This acquisition of modern manufacturing technologies prepared the company to compete head-to-head with the once dominant player in the Philippine cigarette market.