Hector Cuellar
1931-2018 | Valvulas Worcester de Mexico / Rhino Valves / Valtaco
A pioneer of the Ball Valve industry, Mr. Hector Cuellar was born in Mexico City. Soon after graduating as a Chemical Engineer in 1956, he received the license to represent Worcester Controls (Massachusetts, USA), for sales and distribution of the Worcester valves range of products, being one of the first to introduce and develop the market for this kind of valve. As he delivered excellent results, he was soon granted a manufacturing license too and started his first Ball Valve factory in Mexico in 1963, followed by opening manufacturing plants in Brazil and Argentina (1967).
From the start, he was committed to delivering the best quality products, and in order to control quality in every process, he opened facilities to manufacture components. He began manufacturing PTFE seats/seals in his own independent production facility and opened a forging plant in Mexico in 1986, as well as joint venture foundries in Brazil and in Mexico, each one with the idea to be leading suppliers in their own field.
In 1997, he became the first Mexican to open a factory in China, a joint venture that is now, one of the largest and best qualified foundries, supplying casted and machined parts to many leading worldwide customers in the valve and pump business. In 2007, he acquired 100% of the shares of the famous Swiss company “Valtaco”, a leader in forged ball valves, moving its manufacturing to Mexico, making the brand available and profitable again. He was one of the pillars of the modern ball valve market developing on the American continent and an important global player. His companies today are exporting high quality products all over the world.
He always pursued innovation in his factories and the highest quality in products, working without rest every day of his life, always searching around the world to find and procure the best machinery and parts suppliers to meet the demands of his customers. He partnered with different independent companies in very different fields such as mining, energy, communications, farming, water treatment, etc. and always looked for, participated and promoted philanthropic initiatives. He worked hard until almost the last day of his life (Mexico City, Oct 26, 2018) leaving a legacy of excellence to all his family members and workers worldwide and leaving very good friends in every continent.
The valve world will miss him.