Juan Farías, FAMA Managing Director, has retired from Mexican glassmaker Vitro.
After 38 years at the company, Mr Farías retired from Vitro at the end of last year.
On his retirement, he said felt nostalgic: “I will miss the daily adrenaline you experience in the glass industry, but what I will miss the most is the people I worked with.”
He continued: “When I started working at Vitro, one of my bosses told me that when glass gets into your veins, it never leaves.
"38 years later, I realise he was right. You fall in love with it, and you never want to quit!”
Mr Farías joined Vitro in 1988, right after college, inspired by his grandfather who worked at the company before him.
Over the years, he held a variety of roles including Vice President of Engineering for Vitro’s Glass Container Business Unit, and for the last 15 years, Managing Director of FAMA, Vitro’s subsidiary for in-house machinery manufacturing.
He said the project he was most proud of was when FAMA built, installed, and commissioned its first 12‑section quad machine for beer bottles.
“It was not just a technical achievement; it represented what we were capable of when we worked together towards something new.”
He continued that while the glass industry was going through difficult times, it was imperative for companies to be resilient to keep moving forward.
“I believe that tough times bring great opportunities. Great companies are forged in difficult moments – Vitro and FAMA are living proof of that.
“It is our task to capitalise on these opportunities, understand the market, and adapt as quickly as possible to constant change.”
Mr Farías said he would stay connected to the glass industry and to FAMA as an external consultant.
A full interview with Mr Farías will be available with an upcoming issue of Glass International.
