As with every tale of success, Xilium has had its fair share of challenges and tough decisions to make. One of its first and toughest challenges was choosing between an office space appropriate for the size of the company ten years ago or going all out, according to Vanessa Estrella Belleza, CEO and President of Xilium. While having a grand building was tempting, Van decided to stay true to what the company needed at the time. The humility in renting a small apartment paid off 10 years later. Not only does the company have a bigger office space, but two more sites apart from the HQ in Iloilo City.

With Xilium’s 10th year anniversary, Van recalls how celebrating the company’s first milestones weren’t so grand either. For its 1st year anniversary in 2012, the company had a small “salo-salo” in its humble office space. Celebrating the camaraderie and loyalty that kept the company together in its first year perhaps built a strong foundation for the company’s culture a decade later. As Van puts it, the first year celebration was “like a promise of a new beginning.”

For a company that has outlived many trends and has achieved milestones countless of times, Xilium has come a long way from its humble apartment days. However, that is not to say that the company is through with experiencing more new beginnings. While Xilium has offices in 3 different locations in the Philippines already, Van dreams of opening satellite offices in Cebu and Mindanao.

Additionally, opening its first official sales office in the USA is also something to look forward to in the future. More than the company’s growth, Van also envisions providing more benefits for the staff such as sending their kids to school. Truly, in its first decade in the industry, Xilium is just about to get started on bigger and more exciting things!