Meet Martin Bracamonte
Vice President, Marketing & Innovation, Vitro Architectural Glass
Vitro Architectural Glass recently appointed Martin Bracamonte to the newly created post of vice president, marketing and innovation.
In his new role, Martin will oversee marketing efforts for Vitro Glass throughout the U.S. and Canada while also leading a range of value creation efforts across all aspects of the business, from new product development and manufacturing to packaging, distribution, customer relations and finances. He also will be responsible for managing profitability and operational initiatives at Vitro glass fabrication facilities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
During his 29-year career in the industry, Martin has held senior management and executive posts at several leading glass manufacturers, serving most recently as president and chief operating officer of IGE Glass Technologies and vice president, operations for Vitro Glass.
Growing up in Argentina, Martin Bracamonte could see the chimney for the local VASA Glass plant from his backyard near Buenos Aires. Now, with 30 years’ experience in the glass industry—and a new role as Vitro Glass’s vice president of marketing and innovation—he is relishing the opportunity to influence its future.
What does that mean for Vitro Glass customers and members of the Vitro Certified™ Network? In a recent interview, Martin offered his unique insights about the glass industry, why he came to America, what he loves about Vitro Glass and his ultimate vision for serving members of the Vitro Certified™ Network.
Q: How do you envision your new role at Vitro Glass?
MB: Let me begin with a couple of things. First, I see marketing and innovation as one word: ‘market-innovation.’ When you look at it that way, you see the bridge between the two … how innovation brings solutions to market.
Also, when I think about innovation, I believe the word is missing one letter. I see ‘innovation’ as ‘Innov-Action.’ That means translating the dreams and aspirations we have about innovation into practical solutions that meet the market demands of our customers and their customers, then quickly delivering those solutions. That is how we create value for society, for customers, for customers of customers, and for Vitro and its employees and shareholders. My job is to accelerate that process … to accelerate the future of our company and the glass industry.
Q: How did you become involved in the glass industry?
MB: I started right away, even when I was at college. I used to work in the glass plant learning and going to college at night. I love the industry and believe glass is the most beautiful architectural material. Humans are outdoor beings. Glass keeps us connected to the outdoors. Everything else is structural or decorative, but the glass—the windows, the glass, the curtainwalls—is truly irreplaceable. We live in this urban ecosystem, and with glass we enhance that ecosystem with transparency, with protection, with safety, with health … and it also helps conserve energy.
Q: How has your previous experience in the glass industry prepared you for this newly created position?
MB: As I grew up in manufacturing and operations, I learned what it takes to make a product, what it takes to make it efficiently, what it takes to overcome technical challenges, manage costs—all of those things. That is important, because to quickly launch a new product one has to understand the manufacturing aspects: manufacturing, cost control and technical feasibility are all important parts of the innovation process.
Q: How does your knowledge of R&D support the innovation process?
MB: The purpose of R&D is to create new possibilities, so it is critical to innovation. At Vitro, our researchers and technical teams have a deep knowledge of the industry, of the material science and of the physics of glass. Our knowledge and strength in R&D are a core competence that gives us a competitive advantage in the marketplace that we direct toward solving problems for our customers.
Q: Why was this new position for marketing and innovation created? How is it different than a traditional marketing role?
MB: As I mentioned before, we, as a company, have a vision of ‘accelerating the future.’ I believe innovation is a mindset, a philosophy that we want to pursue throughout the company as we improve operations, create new platforms for distribution technology, for packaging, for loading and unloading trailers, for everything. Everything relates to innovation. Innovation is not just about creating new products. It is about finding new ways to do everything, from managing the supply chain, to finances to back office improvements. That is how we are going to think about it.
Q: What can members of the Vitro Certified™ Network expect from Vitro Glass’s renewed emphasis on innovation and your marketing leadership?
MB: What I want to see is Vitro being the one-stop shop for everything that our most important customers need. We want to supply all the pieces of glass they need for the building envelope, for the interiors, any displays they need …everything they need that is glass-related, we want to supply. Right now, they might get 80% of everything they need from us, but they have to get this piece from somebody else and another piece from somebody different. We want to supply 100% … so they don’t have to worry about it.”
Q: On a more personal note, what brought you here to the United States?
MB: I am an American now, but I was born in Argentina. I love this country. What I love the most is the competitiveness in the U.S. I came here in 2001 to do that – to be in the most competitive glass market. There’s no bigger honor than to join the winner, the champion of companies, here. I am really, really thrilled and honored to be part of the Vitro team.
Q: You have worked for several of the largest glass companies in the world during your career. What attracted you to join Vitro after 30 years in the industry?
MB: My relationship with Vitro goes back to around 1993. We shared technology training with a lot of the Vitro executives. They have the smartest leadership group and they work the hardest. I like to work for people who work even harder than I do. That is very inspirational. What I like most about Vitro is the passion—passion for growth, for being super industry specialists … being absolutely focused on glass. We are very competitive, and we are here to win.
