P.R Wire Group marks 65 years in the island’s construction industry
What once began as a looped bar tie manufacturer is now a key player in the island’s construction industry, selling heavy and light equipment. It recently celebrated its 65 years of doing business on the island, along with suppliers, clients, employees and friends at its headquarters in Bayamón.
Puerto Rico Wire Products Inc. was established in 1955 and through the years, they have diversified into what they are today. The group is composed of four companies in Puerto Rico and Trekker Group in the continental U.S., which comprises two companies.
It is also the largest equipment service center in the Caribbean.
“It has not been easy to diversify in such a way. It has been many years of hard work and sacrifice to get to where we are now,” said Board Chairman José “Pepin” Cestero.
“My father started the business and over the years we have encountered multiple opportunities which we have been able to capitalize on,” he said.
On the island, the family of companies are: Ace Forming Systems, which rents and sells scaffolding, concrete forms and access systems; Nu-Vue Industries of PR Inc., which manufactures and installs different types of metal roofing and siding; Puerto Rico Wire Products Inc. that sells equipment and materials while it also rents construction equipment; and, Ace Construction Supplies, which manufactures construction materials.
In Florida, Trekker Group is composed of Trekker Tractor which sells, and rents equipment and Trekker Distributor rents and sells scaffolding, concrete forms and access systems.
“The construction industry has had very difficult periods and since I began working in the group, we have been able to contribute to the development and reconstruction of the island. Without a doubt, the toughest has been Hurricane María,” said José “Pepo” Cestero, President of the group of companies.
“I’m truly honored to continue my grandfather’s legacy and my father’s vision,” he said.
Among the suppliers that were part of the 65 year celebration were construction equipment manufacturers, landscaping equipment manufacturers and suppliers of construction materials and other services such as: Kobelco, Case, Bomag, Bobcat, Atlas Copco, JLG/Skytrak, RedMax, Colonial Construction, Euclid, BASF, W.R. Meadows, Godwin Pumps, Humberto Donato Insurance, AIG and CEFI, among others.
The group is currently led by the third generation of the Cestero family and has 500 employees in Puerto Rico and Florida. Plans call for a continued expansion throughout the U.S. mainland and the Caribbean.
