3 4 5 Celebrations: A snapshot from the 40th wed- ding anniversary of Frank Sr. and Meming on Ruth Shimizu, left and daughter Connie. January 13, 2002. Photograghed with the cou- Generations: Seated, from left, are Frank ple is Frank Sr's mother Ruth Shimizu and Sr.’s grandmother Carmen Palomo San Nico- granddaughters Tammy, Chelsey, Amber, Isabel- Ambros, Inc. has been around for 60 years, but las, great grandmother Gertrude Toves Palo- la, Victoria (to the rear), Cyaundra and Demi- when they started they were just a trio of guys with mo, mother Ruth San Nicolas Shimizu, and Rae. Not pictured is Carlina, a granddaughter a tin shack. oldest son Frank Jr. Standing, from left, are in Walnut Creek, CA. Frank Shimizu Sr., his second oldest son Jim On Aug. 30, 1949, Ambrosio Shimizu, Vance (being carried), and wife Meming Shimizu. Smith and Vincente Palomo created Ambros, Inc. Ambros, Inc., however, did not lay down and die. “My dad and Mr. Palomo were good friends,” They picked themselves up, brushed themselves Frank says. “They got to know Mr. Smith. Togeth- A off and moved to a new facility in Tamuning. er they formed the corporation.” Ambros,Inc. While Ambrosio Shimizu spent his days work- Shortly thereafter, Palomo pulled out of the busi- ing out business concerns, he spent his evenings with ness and moved to California, where he formed a very supportive wife, Ruth. Campa Mercantile, Inc. But Palomo’s interactions A look back at 60 “She played a very small role in the business with Ambros did not stop there. Campa and Am- because she was busy raising three boys and one bros were able to do business together in the years years of success girl,” Frank says. “Now she’s 89 years old and following. she’ll be celebrating her 90th birthday on Nov. 15.” Before the company began distributing brands bring in from all kinds of manufacturers in the Little did she know at the time but Ruth was like Budweiser and Huggies, they were selling the States.” raising the next generation of Ambros, Inc. military’s overstocks. There was one manufacturer in particular Am- In 1973, Smith wanted to retire to Hawaii and “When they first started out, they were purchas- bros hoped to conduct business with — Anheuser- Ambrosio Shimizu was faced with a decision, which ing military surplus products, including beer and re- Busch. he brought to his sons. selling it in the civilian market,” Frank says. “Some “Smith was originally from St. Louis, so he had “Mr. Smith retired in 1973 and my father bought of the beers I recall were Acme, Iron City Beer, been contacting the St. Louis brewery to try and get out his shares,” Frank says. “When my dad bought Blatz. The Navy surplus beer was what they would them to allow us to sell their product. Anheuser- Busch was not ready to entertain them,” Frank says. out Smith’s shares, my father asked my brother Joe “So in the meantime, they continued to resell mil- and I, ‘If you boys are interested, come and help me itary surplus beer.” run the company. If you’re not interested, then I In 1949, the continued requests of Ambros were will find another partner or sell it.’” finally accepted and their first shipment of Bud- The boys agreed to help their father run Ambros weiser sold in a matter of hours. and the new line up brought continued success. “Through the persistency of Smith, who contin- The business then could not be contained to ued to communicate and write to Anheuser-Busch Guam only and in the following years, Ambros in St. Louis, they agreed to ship Ambros 500 cas- opened subsidiaries or representatives in Yap, Palau, es of Budweiser,” Frank says. “When those 500 Saipan, and Truk. cases arrived, in one day they were gone. Then An- When the lease on the Tamuning building was heuser- Busch agreed to ship 1,500 cases the sec- up in 1984, Ambros moved to its current home in ond time. That went out in a couple days. The rest Anigua. is history.” Then in 1988, the last founder of the company, As the business began to grow, the tin shack in Ambrosio Shimizu, passed away. East Agana became too small so the business moved The legacy he started, however, is proving it can to a warehouse in Asan in 1950. stand the test of time. The company has expanded The partners settled into comfortable roles that to not only include other spir- had the business running like a its like p.i.n.k. Party Spirits, but well-oiled machine. also health and beauty prod- “Smith took care of the ad- ucts like Ponds, Dove and ministrative, management and Speed Stick. marketing side. He did all the Ambros, Inc. continues its correspondence that was neces- rise and Ambrosio Shimizu sary,” Frank says. “My dad took continues to observe his com- care of all of the operations—go- pany and family from the por- ing through the commercial port, trait on the first floor of the ensuring all the trucks were oper- Ambros office. As the second able and more.” Grad: A snapshot from Frank generation is helping accli- Their recipe for success took a Jr.’s graduation from Father Due- mate the third to the family nas High School in 1980. From Father and son: A hit in 1962 when the Asan ware- business, it’s likely that Am- 1954 photo of Frank Sr. left are John-John, Meming, Tom, with his father, house and offices were destroyed Ambrosio, Frank Jr., Cristina Ce- brosio Shimizu will also con- Ambrosio T. Shimizu. by Super Typhoon Karen. cilia, Ruth, Jim and Frank Sr. tinue to be witness to success. 6 Meet theShimizus Frank “Chief” Shimizu Sr. Chief Executive Officer and Corporate President of Ambros, Inc. Frank Shimizu Sr. remembers lots of hard as or better than the people they’re managing.” work at Ambros during his high school years. And while management styles changed It was the mid-1950s, and there was no such through the years, Frank says it is excellence thing as an aluminum beer can. that drives the Ambros leadership. “My father would take me down to the ware- “In the almost 40 years I’ve been with the house to help out,” Frank says. “One chore was company there’s been a change in the style of very labor intensive. At that time the Budweis- management,” Frank says. “The current style of Fer cans were steel, so if it sat in the warehouse management is an upside-down triangle. In the more than a couple of weeks it would rust. So old days it used to be a triangle with the big boss everybody was involved in taking off the rust at the top directing traffic and telling everyone and repacking it so it could be sold.” else what to do. It’s no longer that way. Now And while rusted beer cans are now a thing it’s the idea of empowerment, listening and be- of the past, those memories have always stood ing in an advisory role. You can still manage but out in his almost four decades of running the Frank Sr. and family: Seated, from left, you welcome and encourage advice from your company. Ambros, Inc. has grown by leaps and are Meming, Frank Shimizu Sr. and daughter subordinates.” bounds since Frank “Chief” Shimizu was Tina Shimizu-Chung. Standing, from left, are The employees appreciate a chance to con- named Chief Executive Officer and Corporate sons Tom, Frank Jr., John and Jim. tribute to the company, he says, and will al- President in 1973. ways be a one of three facets to company suc- “It’s really different,” he says. “Back in those You have to look at your family cess. days we were only a beer and spirits company. members and find out how they fit “We’re very honored to be celebrating 60 Over the years we’ve diversified. With the cost years of being in business but I would be remiss of doing business continuing to escalate, you in the organization.You can’t just if I don’t mention the employees. The staff of can’t be tied down to just one or two products.” start them at the top. My three Ambros has been very professional, capable Frank and his brother Joe have spurred that boys involved in the company now and loyal,” Frank says. “It’s necessary to also growth since taking over their father Ambrosio’s have quality products. The third piece is sup- business 36 years ago. They nurtured their beer, started at the bottom.The thing port from the supplier. Fortunately, all the com- spirits and tobacco portfolio, they expanded with family members is they have panies we work with support us.” their reach throughout Micronesia and they of- to be every bit as good as or better The recipe for success is one Ambros hopes fered their customers many more products. than the people they’re managing. to continue for another 60 years. Frank says he As their portfolio expanded, so did the wants the company to someday be everyone’s Shimizu family. The kids that used to play first thought for all their distribution needs. around the Ambros compound were now on You can’t just start them at the top. My three “We’re still known as the Budweiser distrib- the payroll. They too, had humble roots. boys involved in the company now started at the utor, but we’re more than that,” Frank says.