Vidriera Monterrey

Reprinted from "Crown Jewels of the Wire", November 1992, page 7

A Brief Historical Glance

The following article represents a synthesis of information obtained from two documents of the Vidriera Monterrey (Monterrey Glass Shop) in Monterrey, Mexico. One document is untitled. The other document is an outline entitled "Datos Generales Y Aspectos Sobresalientes Vidriera Monterrey. S.A. DE C.V." and is dated December 21, 1991. No authors are credited for the publications. Although neither publication mentions the manufacturing of insulators by Vidriera Monterrey, I thought the information that was presented could serve as a historical backdrop to what little we do know about insulators used in Mexico.

Although the Vidriera Monterrey was formally undertaken on December 6,1909, attempts in establishing a glass industry in Monterrey, Mexico came much earlier. In July, 1899, the government of Nuevo Leon gave consent to Monterrey to establish the first great glass industry of the country.

In October of that year the Fabrica de Vidros Y Cristales. S.A. was started with an initial capital of six hundred thousand pesos (Big bucks back then!). Consultations were made with the United States and Germany. The plant installation was begun in January, 1901. It would have a smelting oven and arrangements for another one (a Gasogenos) for transforming carbon to gas. German technicians were contracted. and included two bosses, two smelters, two persons to enamel glass, and forty-eight glass blowers. 

They arrived in Monterrey in February, 1903. There were problems. The products were defective due to inappropriate material used to make the glass. Production was barely half of what had been planned. Management assumed the fault was in the glass blowers and the manner in which they were paid. The laborers declared a strike.

Although production started up five weeks later, the German workers still were not satisfied and left Monterrey. Mexican glass blowers from the town of Puebla were hired to continue g1ass production. but an epidemic of yellow fever engulfed Monterrey. The company closed down December 3, 1901. It had lasted nine months.

Vidriera Monterrey. S.A. DE C.V. was founded by Francisco G. Sada and Isaac Garza. Francisco G. Sada assumed the role of Director in 1912 and guided the organization's growth for over half a century. 

Vidriera Monterrey was started with a capital of one million, two hundred thousand pesos, which included the buildings and grounds of the previous bankrupt factory, as well as, the patent rights to the new Owens automatic machinery acquired from the United States. The organization was also granted tax-exemption status for twelve years by the state government. This follows a tradition of industrial promotion established at the end of the 1880's.

Installation of equipment began in 1910, including an oven with two Owens machines that were supposed to produce 20.000 bottles in 24 hours. When operation of the machinery began, the new equipment that replaced the glass blowing laborers functioned in an irregular manner. The results were defective products. By the middle of 1911, the factory still had not gotten underway.

The inventor of the automatic machines came from Toledo, Ohio to observe plant operations. He made recommendations including the use of petroleum gas instead of artificial gas. and reconstructing the oven. Early in 1912, the recommended changes resulted in improved products, and an air of optimism.

A view of one part of the Vidriera Monterrey. There was no 
caption with this picture, therefore, the picture is not dated.

Although the Mexican Revolution began in mid-November, 1910, it was the assassination of President Madero in February, 1913, that brought about such violence, that production at the Vidriera Monterrey was brought to a virtual standstill. Since communications were affected by the Revolution, there were shortages of petroleum, "prime" materials. and machine parts.

By October, 1913, the company was forced to close for a period of time due to attacks by revolutionary factions. The company was able to start back up later that same month, but demands for products were scarce. It was not until 1918 that the company paid stockholders their first dividends. 

By the mid-1930's, Vidriera Monterrey ventured to the crystalware market and contracted a European crystalware glass blower to train a select group of laborers. By 1936, this department of Vidriera Monterrey would form a new company named Cristeleria, S.A. Other corporate companies formed by Vidriera Monterrey include:

*Famento de Industrias Y Comercio (1936) 
*Vidriera Los Reyes (mid-1940's) 
*Vidrio Plano de Mexico (mid-1950's)
*Vitro Fibras (1957) 
*Centroamericana de Vidrio. S.A. (1964 - Guatemala)
*Silice de Costa Rica (mid-1960's)
*Brasividrio Limitado (197l - Brazil)

Vidriera Monterrey has continued to grow and acquire new companies and new markets. Presently, there are over 1000 employees on the Vidriera Monterrey payroll. The company is purported to be the largest glass producer in the world. Or, as was stated at the end of the untitled document: "During the decade of the eighties the first impulse initiated by the founders of Vidriera Monterrey. S.A. continues expressing itself in growth and consolidation in agreement with the economical, national, and world wide variations."