Matías González Chas

Matías González Chas was born in La Coruña on April 5th, 1922. Son of Fidel González Rodriguez and Ascensión Chas González, he inherited the knowledge in fishing industry from both families due to the activities they developed as fishing shipowners, tin producers, coal stores, frozen stowage and ice producers. From a very early age, he took part in this business world, which made his early intuitive comprehension easier. After High School studies, he went to Madrid where he studied at Industrial Engineering School. He graduated as a lawyer from the University of Santiago in 1949.

He joined immediately to run Shipping and Customs Agency, where he got experience in Customs Agency, fishing business and port activities in La Coruña.

At the end of the forties and the beginning of the fifties, he entered the wolfram market, owing to the richness of this mineral in Galicia. In May 1953, he married Maria Picó Casado having five children: Maria, Matías, Carlos, Ana and Marta. On August 13th, 1953 Fidel González Rodriguez died and Matias González Chas took over the firm management as well as the boarder position from his father in industries such as: José Chas Morlan, S.A. (Chas Tin Cans), Compañía Frigorifica, S.A., Industria Ballenera, S.A. and Pesquerías González, S.L. In 1955, he got a degree in Business Studies, collaborating as a lawyer with a relevant buffet and defending the interests of tin cans industry in the union.

In May 1961 he was appointed to member of La Coruña Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation. In 1966 he was elected member of the City Hall, working there from 1967 to 1974 and providing a fluid relationship among Port and City Hall. One of his achievements was to inaugurate the Archaeological Museum in San Anton Castle.

Founder of La Coruña Shipowners and Shipping Agents Association, he was his first chairman during the sixties. In May 1967 he joined the board in the project of Pocomaco Industrial Park which was inaugurated in March 1977.

In April 1968 he was elected Chairman of Customs Agents Association of La Coruña. In July, he became a member of the Galician Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation . He accepted to be Chairman of the Fishermen Association with the purpose of building their Seamen´s House, which was inaugurated in 1972.

In 1970 he was appointed Chairman of La Coruña Port Authority. In 1972 Ascensión Chas González died and the name of the Agency changed to Matias González Chas. In July 1976 he was appointed Consul of Peru. Finally, in 1993, the agency took its current name: Matias González Chas, S.L.

Professionally, from his agency, he was an exceptional witness of the surrounding changes and evolution in ship-owners business and shipping and international trade. During the fifties and the sixties, he acted as a representative of huge number of well-known companies such as Niarchos (London) Limited, Compagnie de Navigation Fraissinet & Cypren Fabre (Marsella), Knud I. Larsen (Copenhagen), Ove Skou (Copenhagen), Veb Deutsche Seereederei Rostock (DSR), Naviera Ferrer, Euromar (Madrid), Naviera Mallorquina, S.A. o Naviera Pinillos, S.A., acting also as an agent of North European regular lines of general cargo.

The improvements in road routes and the reliability of trucks made these services disappear, opening other business requirements in the seventies such as tankers and cruises. It is during those years when he represented companies as Mobil Shipping and Transportation Co. (USA), Texaco Panama Inc., Kuwait Oil Company Limited, Occidental of Libya INC., A.P. Moller (Copenhague), Maersk Line (Copenhague), Jadrolinija Cruises (Rijeka) and Jugoslavenska Oceanska Plovidva (Yugoslavia).

He never forgot the fishing industry when he was an agent for consignments and discharging vessels of 400 and 1000 tm for ship-owners such as Hijos de Angel Ojeda, S.A. (Gijon), Navales Cedeiras of La Coruña, Profesionales Pesqueros (Canarias), Bajamar S.A.I.C. (Buenos Aires). Per Haaland Jr. Shipowner (Norway), Carebeka (Rotterdam), FSH Chartering A/S (Oslo), Arild Throresen (Oslo) o Viking Skip A.S. (Norway).

It has to be mentioned his nomination as Agent to receive As Pontes de García Rodriguez Thermoelectrical Plant of ENDESA, being imported from the old DDR the four groups of 450 Mw. He made a brilliant actuation as a ship and custom agent, having long occupations of Baterias Pier.

It must be also remembered that well-known firms such as Macoga, Noite, Samlor or Tecam, which became world leaders in their sectors, started their international activities at this Agency.

He was one of the founders of the Horse Society Club, Golf Club, Tennis Club and Aero Club in La Coruña and since he was young, member of La Coruña Opera Friends; music was one of his favourite hobbies. He followed closely social and cultural expressions of his native land.

Matias González Chas put intensity and enthusiasm in his active institutional, professional and social life. In love with his town, he served and defended it generously. He died on 26th January, 2006.

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