Mariano Briceño, founder of Grupo Bricket, arrived in the country in 2000, after exploring different international markets and becoming convinced that the Dominican Republic was the ideal place for his growth aspirations.
He defines himself as a committed Venezuelan who owes his allegiance to the land where he was born, with gratitude to "this wonderful land" that welcomed him and has allowed his dreams and hopes to take root and grow.
Briceño is an industrial engineer with a master's degree in management. From a young age, he felt a desire to give back to his community.
“And that’s kind of my life’s mission: to give back to the land, to the community, what they have given us. And as a business mission, to promote development. And that concept is very important because it’s about doing things that promote well-being, that enhance the quality of life for everything around us,” he explains.
Mariano is originally from Barquisimeto, a commercial city located in west-central Venezuela, with a strong agricultural and service-based economy. “We Barquisimeto residents have what we earn through our own hard work. We are hardworking, resilient people who value family, the countryside, and our community, because we have to strive to earn what we want.”.
His father was a doctor and his mother was the daughter of a landowner. They raised five children, whom they instilled with strong values. For the president of the Bricket Group, family is paramount, because it is his refuge and his primary support. In his work and actions, he demonstrates his commitment to helping others. “That also generates support and trust. This is a business built on trust,” he explains.
Real estate developer
In 1976, he began working as a real estate developer after gaining experience with several companies. He recalls that his first project consisted of 50 houses. He went on to build residential complexes of up to 5,000 homes per year in his native country.
Their journey down new paths began as part of an expansion strategy. “Because we already had enough technology and knowledge. In Venezuela, we were moderately large, and the most appropriate thing to do was to go out and sell our capabilities to other regions.”.
Their journey began in Juan Dolio, in the eastern part of the country, and in 2011 they moved to Santo Domingo to develop larger-scale projects. To date, they have built more than 2,500 homes. Their new residential project, Araya, will be built in Punta Cana.
“I think it’s going to be a very interesting experience because we subjected it to an audit process with the World Bank to demonstrate that our processes and our way of thinking really met the regulations and requirements to be recognized as a green, sustainable project,” he emphasizes.
For this foreign investor, honesty, fairness, and transparency are part of his lifestyle.
He identifies with treating the workers on construction sites well. People from all walks of life come there; you have to treat them like human beings, give them clean bathrooms, and provide them with decent working conditions.”.
“We have focused more on doing things right than on accumulating,” he says.
Mariano José, his eldest son, has taken the reins of the company, which also includes his daughters Elia and Andrea. However, he clarifies that he is not retiring, but will instead assume an advisory role.
When asked if he found what he came looking for in his native land, he replied: “Yes, we found it and we are extremely grateful. We are staying here and our plan is to continue expanding from here.”.
Content originally published in El Inmobiliario print #12.
