He married the former Remedios Uyboco, a Binondo lass born to a Chinese/Visayan father and a Bulakena mother. He and Remedios had their first three kids during the years of the war. He was stationed in the Mindoro plant from 1940-41. After the war, specifically in 1946 he decided to hang up his dental tools and then invited his father-in-law and brother-in-law as partners in an automobile spare parts trading company. This business would take him around the world as an importer of exclusive lines of American and British cars. After twenty years and with a brood of eight rapidly growing in his household, Maximino (now called “Doc”) ventured into his own trading company ably assisted by his three sons and two daughters. The rest of the children were still too young and the eldest had his own export firm.

As he traveled extensively during the heydays of trading, “Doc” trained all his children in the joys of travel and in the value of work. Travel was almost always for business and pleasure. During these travels he would meet important people who then helped shape what would become M.D.Juan Enterprises Inc.

The Surplus Years

The years 1966-1969 were significant years in the local surplus vehicle industry. This small niche had customers reliving the war of 1942 through the military vehicles from the Vietnam era. As there was an ongoing war in Vietnam, U.S. military installations would bid out/ auction off a lot of original military vehicles…and Doc would be there. He found a niche in the surplus vehicle market to differentiate his new family business from his former auto spare parts business, still the ever decent and proper gentleman who did not want to be unethical in business. Never sacrifice your name or your reputation, he would always say.

For a few years the Juan father and sons operated out of a gravel-laden yard in Taft Avenue, Pasay City. Surplus vehicles would roll on and off like hotcakes from this yard. As the war went on, more vehicles came his way. But alas, the war came to an end. And so did the jeeps and trucks.

Birth of Northstar/NORCO

The ever-innovative persevering professional, Doc started tooling up for replacement bodies of the jeeps he sold. Collision parts, rusted fenders and battered bodies had to be replaced. This gave birth to the manufacturing arm of M.D. Juan Enterprises, then called NORCO or Northstar. The tooling went so well, Doc started to assemble jeeps from the ground up using reconditioned engines which were aplenty from Japan. Thus the Jiffy Kit was born . In 1970, for only a little over P5,000, one could own a vehicle that was almost new (save for the engine).

In the same year, Doc started to supply his long-time friend Alvin Levine of Acme Truck Parts of Los Angeles with jeep body parts. This started the export business for M.D. Juan. Soon, inquiries came in from Europe, Australia, and Japan. In 1974, set back by a medical condition, Doc started to transfer the reins of the company to his sons and daughter until his untimely demise in 1978.