The Del Pino family is the construction family behind the successful Spanish firm, Ferrovial. In 1952, Rafael Del Pino y Moreno founded the company in an attic in central Madrid. Though they were humble beginnings, Del Pino quickly built a construction firm that was ready to tackle the Spanish construction industry. In just six years, he was awarded a railway contract by the Spanish railway company, Renfe. Del Pino saw great potential in his construction firm and wasted no time in expanding to several international regions.
Del Pino became known as the ‘King of bricks’ because of his construction prowess. Following the death of General Franco in 1975, when Spain was released from the grips of the dictator, Del Pino took this new lease and expanded his company monumentally. He acquired the contracts for the Seville Expo, the Barcelona Olympics and the Guggenheim of Bilbao in the 1990s. In 2000, he handed over control of the company to his son, Rafael Del Pino Calvo-Sotelo.
The younger Del Pino had been working for the firm for over a decade when he took control. He also led the hostile takeover of the British Airport Authority in 2006. The takeover was controversial, as there were issues with an early opening of a terminal at London Heathrow. This led many to believe that Ferrovial might not have been qualified. Despite this turbulent start, Del Pino Jr has led Ferrovial into the next generation in the wake of his father.
