Juan Tomás Gandarias

Juan Tomás de Gandarias Durañona (8 March 1870 – 17 July 1940) was a Spanish businessman and politician. He founded some of the most important industrial, mining, and financial companies in Spain, such as Altos Hornos de Vizcaya, Banco Urquijo, Talleres de Guernica, and many others; all of which seeded in Biscay. He is thus widely regarded as the fundamental head behind the industrialization and industrial development of Biscay and the Basque Country, being present in practically all sectors, and subsequently in the social identity of those regions from the 20th century onwards.

Even though iron mining was the basis of his industries, he did not hesitate to participate and invest in the new sectors that were beginning to develop in the country, such as metallurgy, banking, chemistry, transportation, telecommunications, and press. His influence was also noted in energy and a sector as important as construction was also not immune to his reach. He participated in numerous boards of directors, presiding over companies such as La Basconia S.A., Talleres de Deusto, Talleres de Guernica, Unión Española de Explosivos, Ferrocarril Amorebieta-Guernica-Pedernales, Coto Teuler, Mina del Morro, and Cementos Pórtland Lemona, and he was also vice president of Banco Urquijo Vascongado and Ferrocarril Bilbao-Portugalete.

He founded the Ibérica Telecommunications Company, the basis of the current Telefónica, and was the owner of not only land and means of transportation, but also of the Bilbao newspaper El Nervión. He also participated, among many others, on the boards of Argentifera de Córdoba, Minas de Alcaracejos, Duro Felguera, Basauri S.A., Electra de Castilla, and of the Basque Railways. As a shareholder he appeared, among others, in companies such as La Papelera Española, Hispano Switzerland de Automobiles, La Construccion Naval, Ferrocarril de la Robla, or banks such as Valencia, Hipotecario, and the Hispano Italiano Trust.

He rejected noble titles, he was named the favorite son of Gernika-Lumo and there are streets named after him in Portugalete, Sestao, and Guernica.