William Christopher U. Liu, Jr CE’81
William Christophe U. Liu, Jr has always enjoyed building, whether these were things or organizations. In 1976, he came to the University of the Philippines with the lofty goal of contributing to nation- building in his mind.
He placed 6th in the Civil Engineering board exams in 1982 and proceeded to graduate studies leading to a Masteral Degree in business Management from the Asian Institute of Management.
With the training he received in the UP College of Engineering and at AIM and his knowledge and experience in the field of business, he steered a then struggling William C. Liu Construction to what it is now today, the Primary Structures Corporation (PSC), a dynamic multi million-peso construction company with a full time staff of over 500 people.
Under Liu’s leadership, PSC got its first break in 1988 when it got a building contract for a factory for Japanese electronics manufacturer Taiyo Yuden, which required a four month period for completion of the project. Out of this initial project grew the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ), an area which has expanded to hold over 100 companies. With the reputation PSC has earned for itself as a company that delivers quality projects on time, its client base grew exponentially.
In his quest to constantly move forward and open new doors of opportunity, Lui founded and fostered the growth of Primary Homes Inc, (PHI) and Primary Properties Corporation (PPC), real estate companies that service residential and industrial- commercial real estate markets, respectively. To date, PHI has provided homes for more than 4,000 families in the local community. PPC is a recognized leader in the development of customized facilities. Liu also established Concrete Solutions Incorporate a company that provides quality ready mix concrete nbd materials to various customers
As a man who would like to be remembered as one who helped others to succeed< Liu established Primary Structures Education Foundation Inc., a TESDA partner in providing training and assessment to construction workers in the Southern Philippines. He also pioneered Bunkhouse Intensive Literacy Development (BUILD) Program where hundreds of construction workers have availed of continuous, non-formal education opportunities that enabled them to earn their elementary and /or high school diplomas.
Today, Liu has become a recognized leader in the industry. He is widely acknowledged for creating countless opportunities for other Cebuanos, for propelling local business, and for helping improve the economy. With over twenty years of leadership in the construction industry, Liu continues to inspire and help others create and build successful business establishments.
The Philippine center for entrepreneurship named him as one of the Most Inspiring Cebuano Entrepreneurs in 2007. He was also a finalist in Ernst and Young, Liu revealed a simple strategy for success — he spells the word “mistake” as l-e-s-s-o-n. In this way, he emphasizes how important it is for one to never stop learning.