ProPopulus Team
Pedro Garnica, co-founder and president of Grupo Garnica, founder of the poplar-growing company Bosques y Ríos, and founding member and former Chairman of ProPopulus, passed away on 17 September 2024, leaving an indelible mark on the forestry industry.
A staunch defender of the bioeconomy, for Pedro Garnica, the poplar was not only a business opportunity but also an innovative solution to address environmental and social challenges in rural areas.
In his role as a founding member and Chairman of ProPopulus, he promoted the cultivation and use of poplars as an integral part of the fight against climate change, highlighting their value in creating sustainable rural economies.
His passion for poplars went beyond mere business. It was the tree that gave meaning to his life. This personal connection with poplars led him to promote their cultivation and use worldwide, transforming this species into a symbol of sustainability and a driver of the economy in rural areas.
A humble and visionary business leader
His leadership style was marked by a vision that went beyond commercial goals. For Pedro Garnica, the company was like a tree: an interconnected system where every part had an essential role, and all employees contributed to the growth and strength of the whole.
This way of acting allowed him to build a committed and collaborative team, to whom he always offered the freedom to make mistakes and learn, while maintaining a clear focus on the future.
Thus, Pedro Garnica built a business group based on plywood, combining tradition and innovation to make the poplar a key pillar of sustainability and industrial development. Today, Grupo Garnica has more than 1,100 direct employees, most of them in rural areas, and operates seven production centres, five in Spain and two in France.
His conviction that the poplar is one of the foundations of the forestry sector and a driver of growth for rural areas, as well as his commitment to poplar growers and the riverside communities of the Duero and Ebro Basins, led Pedro Garnica to found Bosques y Ríos.
His vision was to achieve excellence in poplar cultivation, promoting its planting and field research. Bosques y Ríos currently manages more than 2,500 hectares of poplar groves in various parts of Spain and is the most important poplar-growing company in Europe.
Pedro Garnica leaves an enduring legacy as a passionate and visionary business leader, whose modesty and curiosity drove a transformation in the forestry industry. His love for poplars and his commitment to sustainability will continue to inspire future generations of entrepreneurs and environmental advocates.