Keeping Legacy
The dude’s intense. He’s a former triathlete, former Rugby player who at one point represented his country on the rugby pitch. You almost expect him to drop a flying knee on someone at any second. But instead, he’s all about the threads. He knows his shit from linen to corduroy, warp to weft. And get this: he's been running a century-old textile mill since he was 23.
His name is Gustavo and he’s the driving force behind his factory.
The company has been in his family since he was a kid. He started working there fresh out of college and by 23, he was the CEO. But the years haven’t been all awesome. He’s had to navigate the challenges of devaluations, NAFTA, and a constantly changing Mexican government. But it’s his DGAF attitude, paired with flexibility, and competitiveness, that have led to this factory outlasting them all.
“We are fast enough to change markets, to change strategies, to be versatile with our production… and the honesty of the way we work,” shared Gus. “I think it's one of the strongest things that we have, and that's why we're still alive.” Alive and thriving. The factory itself is a piece of history. Being one of the oldest mills still operating in Mexico, it comes complete with ghost stories, mystical rumors, and of course, buried treasures.
Since predating the Mexican Revolution, some say there are hidden treasures buried on the factory grounds. Previous CEOS have searched for the plata. Even Gus himself invested in searching for the pot of gold said to be buried underground in an unassuming walkway in the factory. But with no X marking the spot, Gus decided to let the hidden treasure live on. He believes the real treasure lies in his employees anyway.
Who knows what the future holds for this old factory. But one thing's for sure, they're not just making fabrics. They're keeping a legacy alive. Every day, the workers lunch together in a traditional tiled kitchen sharing meals and stories. Just a quick walk by the kitchen and your mouth will literally water from the amazing smells. No brown bag lunches here. It's a place where tradition and friendship, the spiritual and the mystical, the old and the new, are woven into the fabric of the factory.
Maybe there really is a hidden treasure buried under the factory floor. Who knows. But right now, the real treasure is the plant, the people who work there, and the folks who have kept this place alive for generations. Either way, the place is a gold mine of weird and wonderful... and a middle finger to the corporate world.
