Raul Saenz
Encyclopedia
Raúl Alfonso Sáenz Meraz (1910-1982) is a Mexican business man, known in the north of Mexico
in the decades of 30's and 40's specially in the states of Chihuahua and Durango
, for having been the first owner of a Coca-Cola
bottling plant in Mexico, in the city of Nuevo Casas Grandes
, in Chihuahua state, bringing a source of income to an area of Mexico that was undergoing economical withdrawal. He was a very active entrepreneur of his time, acquiring magnesium
mines scattered in Sierra Tarahumara
, which provided more than 5,000 men with a job, in a time where it was very scarce. The wages paid in his mines were higher than most other places, earning himself a good reputation for being humane in a time where the rich weren't concerned about the lower classes. He also brought the first TV antenna to Chihuahua state, transmitting only stations from USA, since it was closer to the border than to the existing Mexican TV stations of the time, which were in Mexico City
.
Raúl Saenz married Maria Eustolia Nevarez, a young girl from a positioned family, and together they gave birth to 11 children, from which the three first were Armando, Rodolfo and Javier. They had only two daughters, Teresa and Maria del Socorro.
The Saenz Nevarez family was known for having the first gadgets and commodities of the time in northern Mexico, such as a TV, a washing machine, an electric iron, or a fridge. People from all social levels were welcomed inside their house to take a look at the new technology brought to town by Mr Saenz.
They earned the care of the peasants and bourgoise alike, and soon their last name became a signature of wealth and prosperity. Raúl Saenz's offspring were all studying in Jesuit boarding schools, which back then was a kind of education only accessible to the rich, and it was believed to be the best. Raul then was at the peak of his success, he had amounted a large fortune, so he felt it safe to sell some his business to put weight off his shoulders. Among those business, he sold the bottling plant, and half of the mines. Little did he know it was going to be his downfall
. Business started to become weaker and weaker ín the 60's and by the early 80's most of his wealth was in the hands of one of his sons, who was then appointed his father's fortune overseer. His name is still remembered all over Chihuahua, specially among the descendants of those of wealthy families in the 50's. Raul's descendants amount to more than a hundred at this date.
community in Reykjavik
, Iceland
.
He worked for the most important agency for immigrants in the nordic country, Alþjóðahúshttp://www.mbl.is/ as a translator and interpreter, besides his active role on the advancement of the expatriates in Iceland
, specially people from Thailand
. He had first made himself acquainted with the diplomats at the Royal Thai Embassy in Mexico City
. He presently works in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Security of Iceland.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in the decades of 30's and 40's specially in the states of Chihuahua and Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
, for having been the first owner of a Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
bottling plant in Mexico, in the city of Nuevo Casas Grandes
Nuevo Casas Grandes
Nuevo Casas Grandes, also known as Nueva Casas Grandes, is a city and seat of the Nuevo Casas Grandes Municipality in northern Mexico. It is located in the northwestern part of the state of Chihuahua, on the Casas Grandes or San Miguel river, situated in a wide, fertile valley on the 4,000-foot...
, in Chihuahua state, bringing a source of income to an area of Mexico that was undergoing economical withdrawal. He was a very active entrepreneur of his time, acquiring magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
mines scattered in Sierra Tarahumara
Tarahumara
The Rarámuri or Tarahumara are a Native American people of northwestern Mexico who are renowned for their long-distance running ability...
, which provided more than 5,000 men with a job, in a time where it was very scarce. The wages paid in his mines were higher than most other places, earning himself a good reputation for being humane in a time where the rich weren't concerned about the lower classes. He also brought the first TV antenna to Chihuahua state, transmitting only stations from USA, since it was closer to the border than to the existing Mexican TV stations of the time, which were in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
Raúl Saenz married Maria Eustolia Nevarez, a young girl from a positioned family, and together they gave birth to 11 children, from which the three first were Armando, Rodolfo and Javier. They had only two daughters, Teresa and Maria del Socorro.
The Saenz Nevarez family was known for having the first gadgets and commodities of the time in northern Mexico, such as a TV, a washing machine, an electric iron, or a fridge. People from all social levels were welcomed inside their house to take a look at the new technology brought to town by Mr Saenz.
They earned the care of the peasants and bourgoise alike, and soon their last name became a signature of wealth and prosperity. Raúl Saenz's offspring were all studying in Jesuit boarding schools, which back then was a kind of education only accessible to the rich, and it was believed to be the best. Raul then was at the peak of his success, he had amounted a large fortune, so he felt it safe to sell some his business to put weight off his shoulders. Among those business, he sold the bottling plant, and half of the mines. Little did he know it was going to be his downfall
Downfall
Downfall is a rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth. It may also refer to:- Film and television :* Downfall , 2004 German film about the last days of Adolf Hitler* Downfall, a Korean movie starring Shin Eun-gyeong...
. Business started to become weaker and weaker ín the 60's and by the early 80's most of his wealth was in the hands of one of his sons, who was then appointed his father's fortune overseer. His name is still remembered all over Chihuahua, specially among the descendants of those of wealthy families in the 50's. Raul's descendants amount to more than a hundred at this date.
Trivia
His grandson, Raul Saenz http://www.ahus.is/index.php?option=com_ct&task=view&id=79&Itemid=65 (credited as Raul Saenz), son of Javier Eduardo Saenz, is a prominent defendant of the rights of the ThaiThai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
community in Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
He worked for the most important agency for immigrants in the nordic country, Alþjóðahúshttp://www.mbl.is/ as a translator and interpreter, besides his active role on the advancement of the expatriates in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, specially people from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. He had first made himself acquainted with the diplomats at the Royal Thai Embassy in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. He presently works in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Security of Iceland.