| M Lhuillier Financial Services | |
| Type: | Private |
| Founded: | 1992 |
| Key People: | Michel Jones Lhuillier [1] Michael Llamas Lhuillier [2] [3] |
| Hq Location City: | Cebu City |
| Hq Location Country: | Philippines |
Michel J. Lhuillier Financial Services (Pawnshops), Inc.,[4] also known as M Lhuillier or MLhuillier, is a Philippine non-banking financial services company.[5] [6] [7] The company is headquartered in Cebu City, Philippines with the M Lhuillier Group of companies as the parent company.[8]
The company's services include pawn-broking,[9] money remittance,[10] bills payment, jewelry,[11] money exchange, insurance, logistics,[12] corporate payout,[13] and electronic reloading.[14] [15]
M Lhuillier Financial Services was founded in 1992 by Michel J. Lhuillier.[16] Michel was inspired by the first chain of pawnshops in 1935 in the Philippines, known as "agencias". M Lhuillier started as an offshoot of the financial services business of Michel's father, Henry, who was a formidable businessman that passed the mantle to his children.[17] A native of France, Henry Lhuillier came to the Philippines in the 1930s as a jewelry sales executive. He married Angelica Esconde Jones, Michel's mother, and later served as an Honorary French Consul in the 1970s. Henry and Angelica were both notable in the jewelry, loan, and candy industries.
Since then, the M Lhuillier Group of Companies expanded to include real estate, construction, restaurants, and retail.[4]
According to Statista, the company was awarded the title of one of the Philippines' Best 100 Employers in the financial service industry for the year 2023.[18] M Lhuillier Financial Services is a recipient of the “Captain of Industry: Financial Institution Money Remittance” award from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.[19] [20]
In 1999, M Lhuillier partnered with remittance company Western Union. In March 2009, the company partnered with money transfer company Moneygram to make its remittance service ML Kwarta Padala accessible for Filipinos abroad.[21]
In 2017, M Lhuillier launched its ML Kwarta Bank POS Solutions in partnership with Banco de Oro to enable bank account holders to withdraw money from their bank accounts at ML's branches through the use of the BDO POS. The service was expanded with the Kwarta Padala to enable customers to deposit to their bank accounts.
In November 2019, M Lhuillier entered a partnership with LBC Express, a retail and corporate courier provider, to grow the companies remittance operations.[22] In June 2021, M Lhuillier partnered with DITO Telecommunity to provide its services at ML's locations and through the M Lhuillier mobile app, ML Wallet.[23] [24]
In September 2022, M Lhuillier signed a partnership with the Government Service Insurance System, enabling GSIS to expand loan payment solutions for its members and pensioners to 5,600 collection sites.[25]
In April 2023, M Lhuillier partnered with Rizal Commercial Banking Corp for the installation of ATM Go units at ML's locations.[26] In June the same year, the company announced a partnership with J&T Express allowing M Lhuillier branches to receive shipments from the logistics company to be delivered by its network of couriers in the Philippines.[27] [28]
M Lhuillier founded non-profit entity ML Cares Foundation to aid charity initiatives. In 2013, the foundation took part in the disaster relief endeavors and schools renovations after typhoon Haiyan.
In 2022, the Organizational Productivity Enhancement Committee, an M Lhuillier foundation, collaborated with the Philippine Red Cross on blood donation activities to increase the supply of the blood bank. OPEC is also involved in community services like educational and livelihood programs.[29]