Manuel Corripio García, founder of Grupo Corripio, was born in a humble family in Asturias, Spain on February 8, 1908. At the very young age of thirteen and with only an eighth grade of academic preparation, he embarks in search of progress to Santo Domingo, where four years before his older brother Ramón arrived. Once in Santo Domingo, Mr. Manuel passes from being a young boy to an adult, as other young Spaniards did of his generation who emigrated to America. From that moment he devotes his life to work, guided by his brother and the people they worked with in the business.

Later Mr. Manuel and his brother Ramón decide to have their own small business together until 1930, date on which Mr. Manuel became independent and founded the first company of the Grupo Corripio, still operating with the same vigor that its founder printed from day one.

In 1930 the city of Santo Domingo is devastated by the cyclone San Zenón, what makes Mr. Manuel think of the possibility of returning to his native Asturias, as he and his brother Ramón do in 1931. There he marries Mrs. Sara Estrada who gives birth to their only child. In 1934 José Luis Estrada Corripio was born, better known as Pepín. On 1936 the Spanish Civil War breaks out, after the birth of Pepín, and Mr. Manuel returns to Santo Domingo, with the intention of permanently staying in the Dominican Republic, a place that he assumes as his adopted country. In 1938 his wife and son follow him to become his main supporters.

With the beginning of democracy in the Dominican Republic in the mid- sixties, a period of growth starts and Grupo Corripio takes advantage of it, always with the same values that the company was founded: Tireless work and faith in the Dominican Republic, honored commitments regardless of convenience, respect for customers and development of all the people who work in the Grupo Corripio, which today exceeds 11,000 employees.

Grupo Corripio, today directed by his son Pepín, in collaboration with his sons Manuel, Jose Alfredo, Lucia and Ana as well as functionaries and managers, is diversified into more than twenty companies, grouped in four areas: trade, industry, automotive and media.

Mr. Manuel, a man of great social sensitivity heads, until his death in 2004, the Corripio Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the country’s culture and acknowledgement of its leading exponents, sponsoring activities including the National Literature Award and Corripio Foundation Awards, which are given each year to Dominican personalities for their contributions to our society.

Mr. Manuel spent his entire life working and dedicated to his family. At the age of 96 years still spent intense workday hours devoted to his business. He was also a lover of nature. Throughout his life he planted thousands of trees. Upon his death he had fifteen great-grandchildren.