Competing to Win, Not Just Survive: How to Leverage Local Constraints for Global Authority
- Adrián González
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Adrián González
Most companies expand from Puerto Rico, hoping to survive. A select few expand to dominate.
The difference is rarely about product quality or working harder; we have plenty of both. The gap lies in the business model.
The dangerous temptation is to think that to compete globally, we must lower our heads and lower our prices. But when we analyze the companies that actually dominate, not just survive, we see the exact opposite. They don't export a discount; they export a superior standard of operation.
One of the most compelling blueprints for this is Fulcro, a Hispanic-owned insurance brokerage that began in Puerto Rico and now operates with authority in Florida, Georgia, and the Dominican Republic.
Over the last decade, Fulcro didn’t just "hang on." They used Puerto Rico as a high-intensity training ground to leverage local constraints and build a value proposition that is harder, smarter, and more resilient than their mainland competitors.
For the Hispanic CEO looking to scale, Fulcro isn’t just a success story; it is a strategic methodology. Here is how they turned geography into an unfair advantage.
1. Differentiation Requires Ruthless Exclusion
The trap for many island-based businesses is the "Generalist Fallacy" of trying to be everything to everyone to capture a small market.
Fulcro rejected this. From the start, they positioned themselves not as a transactional seller of policies, but as a consultative risk management partner. They invested in diagnostic capabilities and specialized HR services when others were competing on premiums.
The Lesson for CEOs: Competing starts with clarity. If your honest answer to "What do we do?" is "A bit of everything," your competitive edge is fragile. Fulcro proves that narrowing your focus to high-value verticals (like construction risk) is the only way to broaden your market.
2. Expansion is an Asset Strategy, Not a Real Estate Strategy
Many companies mistake "expansion" for simply signing a lease in Miami or Orlando. That is not growth; that is overhead.
Fulcro’s footprint in the U.S. and DR was not just about presence; it was about acquiring capabilities.
2023: Merged with Luis Juarbe Seguros y Fianzas, absorbing four decades of expertise in food manufacturing and distribution.
2024: Created Fulcro Fiducial by merging with The Fiducial Adviser, integrating wealth management into their risk platform.
These were not random deals. They were strategic moves to deepen the value chain.
The Lesson for CEOs: Are you expanding to check a geography box, or to acquire capabilities that make you irreplaceable? The scale-ups that win don't just grow "outwards"; they grow "deeper."
3. Operational Resilience: How to Leverage Local Constraints as a Global Export
In Puerto Rico, navigating hurricanes, earthquakes, and power grid instability is a daily operational reality. In the mainland U.S., these are catastrophic anomalies.
Fulcro realized that their ability to operate under pressure was a product.
Years before "resilience" became a corporate buzzword, Fulcro partnered with the American Red Cross to co-develop disaster preparedness tools. They positioned themselves as partners in business continuity, not just insurance renewal. They took a skill learned out of necessity in Puerto Rico and sold it as a premium asset in markets just waking up to climate risk.
The Lesson for CEOs: Where are you operating under tougher conditions than your global competitors? If you can manage supply chains, logistics, or regulations in Puerto Rico, you possess a level of operational rigor that is highly valuable in "easier" markets. Don't hide your scars; sell the strength they built.
4. The End of Heroics: Building a Growth System
Puerto Rican leaders are not short on hustle. But hustle doesn't scale; systems do.
Where many local companies hit a ceiling is alignment: Brand points North, Sales points East, and Operations points South. Effort is high, but traction is low.
Fulcro’s 40+ year trajectory demonstrates the power of strategic alignment:
Clear Positioning: They know exactly who they are (Consultants, not vendors).
Targeted M&A: Every move reinforces the core strategy.
Culture as Strategy: Their leadership explicitly links profit to Puerto Rico’s socioeconomic prosperity, driving high retention and purpose.
This coherence is not accidental. It comes from treating growth as a disciplined infrastructure rather than a series of disconnected initiatives.
The Strategic Advantage of Constraints
Competing from Puerto Rico is not about pretending the constraints don’t exist. It is about knowing how to leverage local constraints like complexity, resilience, and community to build companies that are structurally superior to those born in "stable" environments.
From here, scale-ups can do much more than survive. They can win on their terms, with their story, and with the right structure behind them.
About the Author
Adrian Gonzalez is a Marketing Advisor at DuartePino.
About DuartePino
DuartePino is a management outsourcing firm that combines deep customer knowledge with practical expertise in marketing, communications, and brand management to drive sustainable growth for clients. Our network of Trusted Advisors brings years of experience, offering fresh perspectives, proven processes, and the martech tools needed for effective execution.
In addition to our core services, we have expanded through our ventures: Téntico, a strategy-first brand studio focused on authentic branding for legacy brands and scale-ups, and Haipriori, specializing in custom software solutions and digital innovation. We manage over 15 marketing communications departments, representing over $1B in annual sales, with 70% of clients exporting to international markets.