Starting a company during an economically and historically challenging period in the Philippines, and running it on a solid growth curve for 50 years is by no means a small feat. Yet this is the story of Wheeltek, its founding duo Reynaldo and Tessie Odulio, and their ever-growing family who have served the motorcycle industry for an astounding half-century.
I had the privilege of sitting down with Roscoe Odulio, Wheeltek Group of Companies’ VP for Sales and Marketing at the company’s 50th Anniversary. Held at the Glorietta Activity Center, Makati City, it was a grand display of a rich historical and values-based family business, as well as of current success and a very optimistic future.
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Having launched the business in 1974, initially known as Peer Marketing, and with no more than three Suzuki B-120s on stock, they stepped out with faith in God and a load of determination. By 1982, their sales were driven by the introduction of the Suzuki X-4 and X-120.
The assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983 almost brought the entire economy to its knees, but the founders picked themselves up by their bootstraps, and by 1988 they added the Wheeltek Motor Sales Corporation with Yamaha to their offerings and started transitioning to the Wheeltek brand. This was further expanded in 1994 when they added Kawasaki to their stable with the Kawasaki HD-III.
By the late ’90s the founders’ sons, Raymond and Reynaldo Jr., started taking up executive responsibilities in the company, adding further innovation and growth to the already 12 branches and the birth of a sister company, R-Cycles.
By 2002, their dominance in the Luzon markets inspired the expansion into Cebu, and by 2005 ‘Honda Motorista’ saw the light of day. By this time it became evident that Wheeltek was going to become a prominent name in the motorcycle industry in the Philippines, and by the late 2000s they already had 100 combined stores.
Record sales of the humble Baja CT100 earned them the title of Kawasaki’s top dealer worldwide. Similarly, their sales of the Yamaha RS100, the steel horse of tricycles, propelled Wheeltek to Yamaha’s dealer of the year in 2002. By 2009 they had already expanded into Mindanao with branches in Cagayan De Oro and Davao. Such was their growth that it was no wonder then that their home city Cabanatuan became known as the ‘Tricycle Capital of the Philippines.’
The last decade (2014 to 2024) has witnessed an explosive series of achievements and market share expansion. Wheeltek also created the first-ever TV show (launched in 2018) by a motorcycle dealer; it was called Ride Mo’To and was hosted by none other than Paulo Abrera on ABS-CBN Sports & Action. By the end of the same year, Wheeltek opened its first Yamaha Revzone in Quezon City, firmly taking hold of the big-bike market. This expanded further the following year in its partnership with the prestigious California Superbike School, further exposing Filipinos to big-bike racing and providing sound training for the growing family of enthusiasts.
The parallel growth in motorcycle offerings is a clear reflection of their continued commitment to meeting the consumer’s demand. Besides the traditional brands (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki), Wheeltek’s portfolio now also includes a full range of models from Aprilia, Bimoto, CFMoto, Ducati, Harley Davidson, KTM, Triumph, TVS, and Vespa.
And to crown their achievements of the last 50 years, Wheeltek has also expanded into the four-wheel market by adding MG, Kia, GAC, and Geely to its stable, while keeping a keen eye on the EV market potential and working on taking Wheeltek beyond the borders of the Philippines.
Let the good times keep rolling…
