Gildo Massó
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Gildo Massó González (December 8, 1926 – January 15, 2007) was the founder and CEO of Masso Enterprises and the developer of the concept of "build it yourself" low-cost houses.


Early years

Massó was born and raised in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico where he received his primary and secondary education. His parents were Rafael Massó Vázquez and Francisca González Padín. He was a hardworking young man who admired the Puerto Rican political leader
Luis Muñoz Marín José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín (February 18, 1898April 30, 1980) was a Puerto Rican journalist, politician, statesman and was the first elected governor of Puerto Rico, regarded as the "Architect of the Puerto Rico Commonwealth." In 1948 he ...
. He helped support his family by working in the local hardware store. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in the
University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico ( es, Universidad de Puerto Rico, UPR) is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 58,000 students and 5,3 ...
."Sepultan al gestor de la cadena de Ferreterias Masso"; El Nuevo Dia; page 4; January 15, 2007


First Masso Hardware Store

In 1951, Massó opened his first hardware store, Ferretería Masso (Masso Hardware Store) in San Lorenzo, which became a successful venture. He married Carmen Tuly Aponte in 1953. In 1954 he established his first cinder block factory. In 1959, Massó ventured into the construction business and built the Massó Subdivision in San Lorenzo. In 1961, he opened Caguas' Lumber Yard in
Caguas Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, and east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey. Caguas was founde ...
. In 1967, the Massó Cement Factory moved to much larger facility in Gurabo.


Casas Massó

In 1974, with the need for affordable housing in
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
, Massó developed a concept of selling low-cost houses, made out of wood, known as Modelos Massó or Casas Massó (Masso Models). The idea was to supply customers with the necessary elements to build a low-cost home. The all-inclusive packages included floor plans, building materials, and construction loans. In 1981, Massó acquired two Carlos Armstrong Hardware Stores in Ponce, and in 1983, he opened the Cayey Home Center in
Cayey Cayey (), officially Cayey de Muesas, is a mountain town and municipality in central Puerto Rico located on the Sierra de Cayey within the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Sal ...
. In 1984 Massó built 550 residences in San Lorenzo, which is now known as "Massó City" and, in 1986, he built 67 residences in the Cerro Gordo sector of San Lorenzo. In 1992, Massó introduced the new Casas Massó which was made of cement, with the same concept as the first models. In 1993, he set up a Super Massó Hardware Store consisting of 55,000 square feet (5,100 m2) and offering over 60,000 products in Caguas. In 1996 Massó Enterprises was involved in a project which built 169 residences in Paseo San Lorenzo. In 1997 Massó acquired six Builder's Square Stores in Caguas, Bayamon, Carolina, Ponce, and Mayaguez. These were renamed Plaza Massó. In 1995, the Massó Hardware Store introduced Auto-Express in which the customer used a drive-through to make purchases. This concept increased sales by 15%. Gildo Massó introduced new models of the Casas Massó in 2001 and 2003. Massó Enterprises has over $65 million in annual sales. The company also has the training center"Massó School for all employees.


Later years

Gildo Massó was named Business Man of the Year in 2004 and the VIP of the Week by Chrysler Corp. A devoted Catholic and to the fulfillment of his religious obligations, Gildo was a supporter and advocate of Cursillos de Cristiandad Movement for more than 40 years, both in the Archdiocese of San Juan and the Diocese of Caguas. He designed and generously directed the construction of both Casas de Cursillos in each diocesan community. On January 15, 2007, Gildo Massó died from health complications during a routine medical checkup in the Auxilio Mutuo Hospital of Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. He is survived by his wife Carmen Tuly Aponte and his two children Gildo and Tuly Massó.


See also

* List of Puerto Ricans


References


External links


Puerto Rico WOWEl Nuevo Dia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Masso, Gildo 1926 births 2007 deaths People from San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican people of Lebanese descent 20th-century Puerto Rican businesspeople 20th-century American businesspeople Puerto Rican Roman Catholics