Our History

Growth and diversification define the four decades of The Wellex Group’s existence. From its humble beginnings as a small plastic factory, it has since become one of the biggest investment firms in the Philippines, with interests ranging from the hotel business to real estate development, oil, mining, aviation, trading and banking.

Profile and History

The Wellex Group has the distinction of being one of the largest, most diversified and globally-competitive investment firms in the Philippines, holding a four-decade history of success and progress.

The company, founded in 1969 in Valenzuela City (formerly Polo, Bulacan) by William T. Gatchalian, had its start as a small, family-owned business in the plastic industry. With only four machines and a minimal workforce, the company under Gatchalian’s astute management became a preferred supplier for pelletized plastic raw materials.

The company experienced rapid growth within just five years as its operations expanded into the manufacture of plastic products. Its diverse product line included ropes and twines, packaging products, pipe systems, houseware and kitchenware, bags and sacks, appliance and automotive parts, and other commercial and industrial products. In 1974, the company began exporting its high-quality products abroad. It has since firmly established its leadership in the local plastic industry with the acquisition of several plastic plants and continued expansion from a modest warehouse into a 60-hectare industrial estate with a workforce of 1,000 people. It has evolved into what is now the Plastic City Corporation. Mr. Gatchalian, meanwhile, has become widely known as the “Plastic King.”

The late 1980’s saw William Gatchalian’s long-held vision of a diversified group of companies gradually being realized, as he established a real estate development company, a bank, an airline, an oil exploration company, a newspaper publication, various hotels and casinos, a stock brokerage, and a petrochemical plant. And in 1994, he formally organized The Wellex Group, Incorporated as the investment arm of his expanding business concern. The group now has six publicly listed companies in its roster.

The Wellex Group is committed to maintaining its leadership among investment companies, as it seeks to expand its varied business interests even further.