The owner of Ochoa ferreteria, also owns plaza internacional (santiago), ochoa hogar and many other prominent businesses in DR died from a heart attack today. He was playing golf and said to be in very good health condition (around 58 yrs old), fell down with a heart attack and died in hospital.
- Thread starter AZB
- Start date
marino Ochoa is dead
That's Too Bad.
You never know when you're number is up. The D.R. could do with many more like him who understand how to serve their customers, and grow their companies, without bribes from the government. I hope their are a few more out there to follow in his footsteps.
Tom (aka XR)
You never know when you're number is up. The D.R. could do with many more like him who understand how to serve their customers, and grow their companies, without bribes from the government. I hope their are a few more out there to follow in his footsteps.
Tom (aka XR)
From what I know from his close friend, he was an american educated dominican who served in the vietnam war and then came to dominican republic in the mid 70's. He was not a rich man as many people might think but he was a dedicated hard working dominican with good work ethics. he started the hardware business in santiago and look where he is now. Ochoa family own some of the most successful businesses all over DR.
By the way, all ochoa stores are closed today and maybe closed until tomorrow. It seems the whole santiago is mourning his loss. Gold's gym in plaza internacional is closed along with ferreteria Ochoa on bartelome colon and Ochoa hogar (in plaza internacional). So if you folks have plans to come to santiago to buy merchandise from any ochoa businesses, save yourself trouble and a wasted trip. It seems all ochoa businesses are closed until tomorrow.
By the way, all ochoa stores are closed today and maybe closed until tomorrow. It seems the whole santiago is mourning his loss. Gold's gym in plaza internacional is closed along with ferreteria Ochoa on bartelome colon and Ochoa hogar (in plaza internacional). So if you folks have plans to come to santiago to buy merchandise from any ochoa businesses, save yourself trouble and a wasted trip. It seems all ochoa businesses are closed until tomorrow.
AZB
Ochoa was one the best competitors in the hardware and constructions business. He was feared by the competition because of his competitive prices and fast service anywhere in the country.
You could call Ochoa for a quote on anything related to the construction industry and he would give you prices quickly and guaranteed delivery on time. In my opinion, Ochoa beat Hache and Ferreteria Americana consistently on large bids related to steel, cement, flooring and bath products.
Ochoa also became a pain in the ass to suppliers during the hotel construction boom of the 90s and even today. He had his sales crew ready on time at the hotels procurement offices and had his list of prices ready for hotel buyers with the best market prices.
He was everywhere from Santiago to Bavaro bidding on everything. He would outbid competitors for the best salesmen in the industry.Maybe that is why he died so soon. Too much, too fast. He was a good one.
TW
Ochoa was one the best competitors in the hardware and constructions business. He was feared by the competition because of his competitive prices and fast service anywhere in the country.
You could call Ochoa for a quote on anything related to the construction industry and he would give you prices quickly and guaranteed delivery on time. In my opinion, Ochoa beat Hache and Ferreteria Americana consistently on large bids related to steel, cement, flooring and bath products.
Ochoa also became a pain in the ass to suppliers during the hotel construction boom of the 90s and even today. He had his sales crew ready on time at the hotels procurement offices and had his list of prices ready for hotel buyers with the best market prices.
He was everywhere from Santiago to Bavaro bidding on everything. He would outbid competitors for the best salesmen in the industry.Maybe that is why he died so soon. Too much, too fast. He was a good one.
TW
Re: AZB
While I am sorry he passed his service sucked. I bought 115 meters of tile and it came 8 days late without even the courtesy of a freakin call or apology even after calling every day it was promised and complaining. Nothing to do with the gentleman that passed but his service is not up to any standards whatsoever. They also had NOTHING in stock. I was down to my 31st choice.Golo100 said:
Jon S
I dont particularly like very big ferreteria and supply companies for that same reason. Service always sucks, his and his competition's. Yet this guy did manage to stay on top of the construction supply industry, out of the blue, Ochoa was/is the biggest lumber importer in the island.
I dont particularly like very big ferreteria and supply companies for that same reason. Service always sucks, his and his competition's. Yet this guy did manage to stay on top of the construction supply industry, out of the blue, Ochoa was/is the biggest lumber importer in the island.
Re: Re: Re: AZB
No offense Jon but you don't know shit and probably haven't had a damn thing delivered to say that crap.
Then they rented Ochoa trucks and t-shirts. Service there sucks. I had to have Missing DR call them 3 times to give them HELL. Didn't help a bit.Jon S. said:
No offense Jon but you don't know shit and probably haven't had a damn thing delivered to say that crap.
Unlike you all, I knew him well
Marino was a very hard working individual. He wasn't in Vietnam, his brother Yeyo was.
Marino did nothing but work his whole life. It was not a quick rise.
Their first place was sort of a shack made from pine board rejects (the kind where the bark is still on both sides.
He was a Morel, but his mom was Ochoa, and he was the eldest of the nephews of Antonio and Cristobal Ochoa, extremely good businessmen from the 50s and 60s. He was the designated heir and received tons of money for investing and enlarging his hardware business. Financiera Ochoa, for example. To give you an idea of "who" Antonio Ochoa is, he is perhaps the largest single vehicle importer in the country.. He has been known to call Toyota, Honda or Daihatsu and order "Boatloads" of vehicles.
Marino was married three times. His first wife died and left him with a little boy. His second wife was a Bermudez, helped him into 'society' but he was never comfortable. They had a little girl , before getting a divorce. Finally he met and married Josefina, the daughter of one of Santiago's most famous MDs. She was his WIFE! And man did she know how to run things. thay had at least two maybe three more kids. They lived modestly, considering what they could have done. None drove magnificant cars or SUVs.
When I was farming back in the late 70s, I could stop by the store when I was leaving for the farm at 5:45 a.m., and there would be Marino, open and ready for business. Yeyo, deeply scared by Vietnam, was usually there with him. Yeyo went to school with Bob Beamon-the world record holder for the long jump in Mexico- and Beamon visited here several times.
One of the first of the family businesses, he, along with Cristobal, was importing wood. He was one of the first BIG importers, and there are pictures in his office of him standing next to trees that are thirty feet around.
He was the first to offer real WOMANIZED (treated w/ 20 year guarantee) lumber. He bought my compadre's business when the compadre wanted to retire. This is currently the Ochoa operation in Santo Domingo.
When the place burned down a few years ago, all the accounts receiveables were burned. Just about every person that owed him a dime, paid up, no questions asked. He never asked for a contract, your word was good enough, and so was his.
If service was lousy, and I, too , have had my delays, it was not intentional, but the result of the shear size of the operation.
About 13 years ago, I walked into his office at 3:30 in the afternoon and said, "Come on, we are going to the golf course." I don't think he had ever taken an afternoon off in his life. He had no idea of what golf was about, nor did he know that so many of his clients, and friends were there.
That afternoon, he fell in love with golf. I made him some clubs and he practiced and played, never enough to become good, but he did have fun. He helped the golf club become what it is today.
Marino was not an educated man, he literally went to the School of Hard Knocks. He used to allow himself 50? a week to play with., go to the movies and a soft drink, maybe a Riki-taki. Marino was not stupid, he was not polished in any superficial way, he was a brilliant businessman with vision. I think it was his lack of reading that killed him. He had not been feeling right and was taking garlic for his blood pressure. He was on a healthydiet, but he ignored all the symptoms: pain inthe upper extremeties, a tightness around the jaw (he had a soft drink and "felt better). He never saw a cardiologist that I know of...
He was teribly shy and extremely private. He was formal to the Nth degree. Over thirty years he never addressed me by anything but my last name. He was that way with many people, instantly knowing that there was a difference, however subtle, in education or "savoir faire". His closest friends were a discredited banker and the younger brother of one of Santiago's most glamourous magnates. He was with them when he died, on the 5th hole on the golf course he loved so much.
He had travelled the world over with his wife and I think he learned a thing or two about living.
HB
Marino was a very hard working individual. He wasn't in Vietnam, his brother Yeyo was.
Marino did nothing but work his whole life. It was not a quick rise.
Their first place was sort of a shack made from pine board rejects (the kind where the bark is still on both sides.
He was a Morel, but his mom was Ochoa, and he was the eldest of the nephews of Antonio and Cristobal Ochoa, extremely good businessmen from the 50s and 60s. He was the designated heir and received tons of money for investing and enlarging his hardware business. Financiera Ochoa, for example. To give you an idea of "who" Antonio Ochoa is, he is perhaps the largest single vehicle importer in the country.. He has been known to call Toyota, Honda or Daihatsu and order "Boatloads" of vehicles.
Marino was married three times. His first wife died and left him with a little boy. His second wife was a Bermudez, helped him into 'society' but he was never comfortable. They had a little girl , before getting a divorce. Finally he met and married Josefina, the daughter of one of Santiago's most famous MDs. She was his WIFE! And man did she know how to run things. thay had at least two maybe three more kids. They lived modestly, considering what they could have done. None drove magnificant cars or SUVs.
When I was farming back in the late 70s, I could stop by the store when I was leaving for the farm at 5:45 a.m., and there would be Marino, open and ready for business. Yeyo, deeply scared by Vietnam, was usually there with him. Yeyo went to school with Bob Beamon-the world record holder for the long jump in Mexico- and Beamon visited here several times.
One of the first of the family businesses, he, along with Cristobal, was importing wood. He was one of the first BIG importers, and there are pictures in his office of him standing next to trees that are thirty feet around.
He was the first to offer real WOMANIZED (treated w/ 20 year guarantee) lumber. He bought my compadre's business when the compadre wanted to retire. This is currently the Ochoa operation in Santo Domingo.
When the place burned down a few years ago, all the accounts receiveables were burned. Just about every person that owed him a dime, paid up, no questions asked. He never asked for a contract, your word was good enough, and so was his.
If service was lousy, and I, too , have had my delays, it was not intentional, but the result of the shear size of the operation.
About 13 years ago, I walked into his office at 3:30 in the afternoon and said, "Come on, we are going to the golf course." I don't think he had ever taken an afternoon off in his life. He had no idea of what golf was about, nor did he know that so many of his clients, and friends were there.
That afternoon, he fell in love with golf. I made him some clubs and he practiced and played, never enough to become good, but he did have fun. He helped the golf club become what it is today.
Marino was not an educated man, he literally went to the School of Hard Knocks. He used to allow himself 50? a week to play with., go to the movies and a soft drink, maybe a Riki-taki. Marino was not stupid, he was not polished in any superficial way, he was a brilliant businessman with vision. I think it was his lack of reading that killed him. He had not been feeling right and was taking garlic for his blood pressure. He was on a healthydiet, but he ignored all the symptoms: pain inthe upper extremeties, a tightness around the jaw (he had a soft drink and "felt better). He never saw a cardiologist that I know of...
He was teribly shy and extremely private. He was formal to the Nth degree. Over thirty years he never addressed me by anything but my last name. He was that way with many people, instantly knowing that there was a difference, however subtle, in education or "savoir faire". His closest friends were a discredited banker and the younger brother of one of Santiago's most glamourous magnates. He was with them when he died, on the 5th hole on the golf course he loved so much.
He had travelled the world over with his wife and I think he learned a thing or two about living.
HB
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HB, I am sorry about your obvious loss.
I have never met the man but had to say something about the service because it was terrible, rude and unbusinesslike.
I also stated it was not a reflection on Mr. Ochoa although he owned the business but rather on the business. Unless of course when I go back for more tile next month and it gets delivered on time, they call when cant make the delivery or show any curtesy at all. I doubt this will happen.
If the first person didn't post how good it was I wouldn't have posted how bad it actually was.
I have never met the man but had to say something about the service because it was terrible, rude and unbusinesslike.
I also stated it was not a reflection on Mr. Ochoa although he owned the business but rather on the business. Unless of course when I go back for more tile next month and it gets delivered on time, they call when cant make the delivery or show any curtesy at all. I doubt this will happen.
If the first person didn't post how good it was I wouldn't have posted how bad it actually was.
No problem Escott
Heck, I know first hand that the service was not what Marino would have wanted it to be. A case of getting too big to handle.
I do not know how the business will be run. He handled nearly all of the planning and decision making, with little input from other people. It will be an interesting study in family owned business. And to see just what tentacles the other Ochoas have in the business.
AZB didn';t mention half of what was involved.: There is Colinas Mall, perhaps the largest in the country? Maybe...Alpha Mall, just finished. the building on the corner of 27 February and Estrella Sahdala where Pasta House is?, plus the gravel pit, the block factory, the wood treatment fcility, the lumber yard. He knew his business....
HB
Heck, I know first hand that the service was not what Marino would have wanted it to be. A case of getting too big to handle.
I do not know how the business will be run. He handled nearly all of the planning and decision making, with little input from other people. It will be an interesting study in family owned business. And to see just what tentacles the other Ochoas have in the business.
AZB didn';t mention half of what was involved.: There is Colinas Mall, perhaps the largest in the country? Maybe...Alpha Mall, just finished. the building on the corner of 27 February and Estrella Sahdala where Pasta House is?, plus the gravel pit, the block factory, the wood treatment fcility, the lumber yard. He knew his business....
HB
HB...you are SO RIGHT about "Don" Marino......
He DESERVES the respect he received. His word was his bond. Was NOT afraid to get his hands dirty "in the field" (unlike so many "engineers" in the DR). He was a gentleman I enjoyed having the pleasure to know.
Dave
He DESERVES the respect he received. His word was his bond. Was NOT afraid to get his hands dirty "in the field" (unlike so many "engineers" in the DR). He was a gentleman I enjoyed having the pleasure to know.
Dave
When I was in sales for my last employer I had the pleasure of meeting him. Although the trip to Santiago was a complete waste of time for my employer it was not so for me, Don Marino turned out to be bussiness-savy and very polite. He turned my offer down and it didn't hurt a bit.
He should have lived longer, we need more people like him.
He should have lived longer, we need more people like him.
Can anyone e mail me a picture of Don marino? I think I know the guy personally. I hope he is not the one I imvited to my home. I know quite a few younger Ochoas and this man was sort of like an uncle to one of them, a proud man who was very gentle exactly how Hillbilly described him to be.