Mr. Jose Maria Tarrago Fabo, the co-founder of the Ficosa group, died yesterday (March 4th) at age 85. A modest person throughout his life, Mr. Tarrago provided the technical vision for the company, while his partner and brother-in-law, Mr. Josep Maria Pujol, focused on the more public commercial and administrative functions. His demise coincides with the 60th Anniversary of the company, which began as a small repair shop for mechanical cables and parts under the name Pujol y Tarrago SL. This was in 1949 when the automobile industry was virtually nonexistent in Spain. In the mid-eighties, the company adopted its current name, Ficosa International. At this point, it had already evolved into a group of companies each specializing in various automotive components. Married with Mrs. Merce Pujol, Mr. Jose Maria Tarrago retired from a direct role in the company for several years although four of his five children are executives.
