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2 Ambros 60th Anniversary, Monday, September 7, 2009 A Message From Madeleine Z. Bordallo Member of Congress Hafa Adai, It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Ambros Incorporated for their 60 years of success in the business community on Guam. From their humble beginnings in a small tin shack in East Agana, AMESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT Ambros, Inc. has grown and expanded to employ over 150 employ- GOVERNOR OF GUAM ees with major distributorships throughout Micronesia and the Pa- cific Basin. Maturing as a cornerstone of Guam’s business commu- Håfa Adai! Congratulations to the staff and management of Ambros Inc. nity, Ambros’ product line has increased from beer to tobacco pro- on the company’s 60th anniversary. For many years, Ambros Inc. has duces, fine wines and spirits, and personal hygiene and beauty played a prominent role in shaping Guam’s business community. products. In addition to their contributions toward expanding our island’s economy, Today we honor the original founders, Messrs. Ambrosio Ambros Inc. has lent their time and efforts to many island organizations Shimizu, Vance Smith, and Vicente Palomo for their motivation, including the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the University of Guam Endow- business acumen, and diligence. We especially honor the late Mr. ment Foundation, and the local chapters of the American Red Cross and Ambrosio Shimizu for his steadfast confidence in Guam, its people, American Cancer Society. and its future. His industry, perception, and good judgment are now For many years, they have sponsored and supported numerous sports or- being carried forward by his four sons, Frank,Joe, Paul, and Tom. ganizations and federations, including the Guam National Olympic Com- Under the tutelage of their father, Ambros, Inc. has continued to mittee, the Guam Football Association, the Budweiser Baseball League, grow under their watchful eyes and business savvy. and the Guam Kayak and Canoe Federation. We are grateful to Ambros Inc. for being a generous supporter of these important community causes Ambros, Inc., and in particular, the sons of its founder Mr. Am- in Guam. brosio Shimizu, serve as examples for all with an entrepreneurial spirit and desire to begin their own business ventures in our region. Their most recent project, the I-Recycle Program, seeks to establish a re- The Ambros history of success is just as much a history of the per- cycling program and reduce the amount of solid waste in Guam. Aportion sonal motivation, commitment, and diligence of the Shimizu fami- of the funds raised from this program goes to participating public and pri- ly, as well as the dedication of its employees. I commend Ambros, vate schools. Ambros Inc. has demonstrated with this endeavor their com- Inc. for their industry, persistence, and for their contributions to the mitment to bettering our island’s environment and assisting our school overall success of our island and community. On behalf of the peo- children. ple of Guam, I extend my most sincere Congratulations and a heart- felt Dangkulo na Si Yu’os Ma’ase. Once again, on behalf of the people of Guam, we congratulate Ambros Inc. on its 60th anniversary. We wish the company and its employees con- tinued success in the future. Sincerely, Madeleine Z. Bordallo FELIX P. CAMACHO MICHAELW. CRUZ, M.D. Member of Congress I Maga’Låhen Guånhan I Segundo Na Maga’Låhen Guånhan Governor of Guam Lieutenant Governor of Guam 4 Generations: Seated, from left, are Frank Sr.’s grand- Celebrations: A snapshot from the 40th wedding anniver- Ruth Shimizu, left, and daughter Connie. mother Carmen Palomo San Nicolas, great grandmoth- sary of Frank Sr. and Meming on January 13, 2002. Pho- er Gertrude Toves Palomo, mother Ruth San Nicolas tograghed with the couple is Frank Sr's mother Ruth Shimizu Ambros, Inc. has been around for 60 Shimizu, and oldest son Frank Jr. Standing, from left, and granddaughters Tammy, Chelsey, Amber, Isabella, Victo- years, but when they started they were are Frank Shimizu Sr., his second oldest son Jim (being ria (to the rear), Cyaundra and Demi-Rae. Not pictured is Car- just a trio of guys with a tin shack. carried), and wife Meming Shimizu. lina, a granddaughter in Walnut Creek, CA. On Aug. 30, 1949, Ambrosio Shimizu, Vance Smith and Vincente Palomo creat- business because she was busy raising ed Ambros, Inc. three boys and one girl,” Frank says. “Now A“My dad and Mr. Palomo were good Ambros,Inc. she’s 89 years old and she’ll be celebrat- friends,” Frank says. “They got to know ing her 90th birthday on Nov. 15.” Mr. Smith. Together they formed the cor- A look back at 60 years of success Little did she know at the time but Ruth poration.” was raising the next generation of Am- Shortly thereafter, Palomo pulled out were able to do business together in the The partners settled into comfortable bros, Inc. of the business and moved to California, years following. roles that had the business running like a In 1973, Smith wanted to retire to where he formed Campa Mercantile, Inc. Before the company began distributing well-oiled machine. Hawaii and Ambrosio Shimizu was faced But Palomo’s interactions with Ambros brands like Budweiser and Huggies, they “Smith took care of the administrative, with a decision, which he brought to his did not stop there. Campa and Ambros were selling the military’s overstocks. management and marketing side. He did sons. “When they first started out, they were all the correspondence that was neces- “Mr. Smith retired in 1973 and my fa- purchasing military surplus products, in- sary,” Frank says. “My dad took care of all ther bought out his shares,” Frank says. cluding beer and reselling it in the civil- of the operations—going “When my dad bought out Smith’s ian market,” Frank says. “Some of shares, my father asked my brother Joe the beers I recall were Acme, Iron and I, ‘If you boys are interested, come City Beer, Blatz. The Navy surplus and help me run the company. If you’re beer was what they would bring in not interested, then I will find another from all kinds of manufacturers in partner or sell it.’” the States.” The boys agreed to help their father There was one manufacturer in run Ambros and the new line up particular Ambros hoped to con- brought continued success. duct business with — Anheuser- The business then could not be con- Busch. tained to Guam only and in the fol- “Smith was originally from St. lowing years, Ambros opened sub- Louis, so he had been contacting sidiaries or representatives in Yap, the St. Louis brewery to try and Palau, Saipan, and Truk. get them to allow us to sell their When the lease on the Tamuning product. Anheuser-Busch was not Grad: A snapshot from Frank Jr.’s graduation building was up in 1984, Ambros ready to entertain them,” Frank from Father Duenas High School in 1980. From moved to its current home in Anigua. says. “So in the meantime, they con- left are John-John, Meming, Tom, Ambrosio, Then in 1988, the last founder of the tinued to resell military surplus beer.” Frank Jr., Cristina Cecilia, Ruth, Jim and Frank Sr. company, Ambrosio Shimizu, passed In 1949, the continued requests of away. Ambros were finally accepted and The legacy he started, however, is their first shipment of Budweiser sold in through the commercial port, ensuring all proving it can stand the test of time. The a matter of hours. the trucks were operable and more.” company has expanded to not only in- “Through the persistency of Smith, who Their recipe for success took a hit in clude other spirits like p.i.n.k. Party Spir- continued to communicate and write to 1962 when the Asan warehouse and of- its, but also health and beauty products Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis, they agreed fices were destroyed by Super Typhoon like Ponds, Dove and Speed Stick. to ship Ambros 500 cases of Budweiser,” Karen. Ambros, Inc. continues its rise and Am- Frank says. “When those 500 cases ar- Ambros, Inc., however, did not lay brosio Shimizu continues to observe his rived, in one day they were gone. Then An- down and die. They picked themselves company and family from the portrait on heuser- Busch agreed to ship 1,500 cases up, brushed themselves off and moved to the first floor of the Ambros office. As the the second time. That went out in a cou- a new facility in Tamuning. second generation is helping acclimate the ple days. The rest is history.” While Ambrosio Shimizu spent his days third to the family business, it’s likely that As the business began to grow, working out business concerns, he spent Ambrosio Shimizu will also continue to be the tin shack in East Agana became his evenings with a very supportive wife, witness to success. Father and son: A 1954 photo of Frank Sr. too small so the business moved to Ruth. with his father, Ambrosio T. Shimizu. a warehouse in Asan in 1950. “She played a very small role in the 5 Monday, September 7, 2009, Ambros 60th Anniversary 6 , Monday, September 7, 2009 , Monday, Meet theShimizus Frank “Chief” Shimizu Sr. Chief Executive Officer and Corporate President Frank Shimizu Sr. remembers lots of hard work triangle. In the old days it used at Ambros during his high school years. It was the You have to look at your family to be a triangle with the big boss mid-1950s, and there was no such thing as an alu- members and find out how they fit at the top directing traffic and minum beer can.

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