Eugenio Mendoza

Who was Eugenio Mendoza?

Eugenio Mendoza Goiticoa was a Venezuelan business tycoon who made important contributions in the modernization of the country during the 20th Century.

He was the son of Eugenio Mendoza Cobena and Luisa Goiticoa. Despite his family's historical position he grew up in modest circumstances due to the monetary sacrifices made by his family during the war for Venezuelan independence and later the Venezuelan civil war.

Mendoza had seven brothers and two sisters and was the only one who did not pursue a university education, choosing instead to go into business by opening a hardware store. By 1943, he had created the "Venezolana de Cementos", the largest supplier of cement in the country, with subsections in Barquisimeto, Maracaibo, Pertigalete, Macuro and Catia La Mar. Also, in the following years he conformed "Protinal", dedicated to the production of animal feed, "Venezolana de Pinturas" and "Venezolana de Pulpa y Papel". His business organization, "El Grupo Mendoza" became the largest industrial conglomerate in the 1970s encompassing everything from cement, construction, manufacturing, heavy machinery, paint, paper mills, animal feed, banking, and insurance to ownership of General Motors of Venezuela.