Don José Castro, founder of Grupo Castrosua and current honorary president of our company, turned 90 on July 16th, for which he received multiple tributes both internally (from us: the workers of the Castrosua plants in Santiago and Carsa in Vilagarcía de Arousa) and externally (from various industry associations such as Asvetrans, Ascabus, Asintra, Atuc, Aetram, and Fenebus).
Our honorary president was born in O Carballiño and soon stood out for his skills in the field of bodywork. In the late 1940s, at just over 20 years old, he became known for his work on the exterior finishing of wooden structures, which earned him great appreciation from sheet metal workers and the nickname “Pepe, the bodybuilder”. In 1949, after returning from military service, he settled first in O Carballiño and later in Vilagarcía de Arousa, in what can be considered the beginning of Grupo Castrosua.
At 90 years old, Don José Castro is a benchmark in the Spanish bodywork industry, as was evident on July 12th at the tribute lunch that various bus industry associations paid him in Madrid, organized by the Association of Transport Veterans (Asvetrans).
At this event, Don José received numerous accolades. The president of Asvetrans, May Comas, referred to his 70 years of dedication. The head of Ascabus, Javier García, thanked him for dedicating his entire life to the bus industry, as did the president of Asintra, Rafael Barbadillo, who acknowledged his lifelong career dedicated to transport. For his part, the president of Fenebus wished him a happy birthday and presented him with a model, along with various gifts from the different entities participating in the tribute.
Events in Santiago and Vilagarcía de Arousa
Don José was accompanied at this event by his son Juan Luis, current president of Grupo Castrosua, and his grandchildren, Beatriz and Carlos Castro. The same family members who, along with his wife Pepita, accompanied him at the tribute he received at our facilities in Santiago de Compostela on July 15th, three days after the tribute in Madrid and one day before his 90th birthday. The entire Santiago workforce participated in this emotional event, held at the company’s production plant.
The event was repeated at Carsa the following week, specifically on July 22nd. The workers in Vilagarcía surprised Don José with a huge birthday cake and presented him with a commemorative plaque at an event held in the company cafeteria. The honoree took the microphone to express his gratitude and thank the staff for their involvement in the project and for always being “up to the task,” especially during the recent years, which were particularly difficult for the sector.
