Our Legacy
The History of GroupVR
95 years of history
Roots in Vision and Industry
1930s to 1950s
In the early 1930s, Joaquin Avellan, a visionary of Spanish-French descent, arrived in Venezuela to build a new life in the Americas. He founded several companies in the industrial sector, including ventures in iron foundry, cement production, and the distribution of industrial components. Although many of his businesses faded following his passing, his entrepreneurial spirit laid the foundation for a lasting legacy.
Building a Legacy – 1950s to 1970s
In the mid-1950s, Irene Avellan, daughter of Joaquin, architect, married a French engineer and entrepreneur Fernand Cival Rohe. Fernand Together with his brother-in-law, Tomás Avellan, acquired “Joaquin Avellan Sucesores C.A.,” an industrial equipment distribution company. Their partnership gave rise to the second generation of the business under the name Avellan-Cival.
The group expanded quickly, launching companies specialized in key industrial sectors: steam systems, industrial pneumatics, compressed air solutions, and cooling technologies. By the late 1960s, the group had established Venezuela’s first boiler manufacturing company.
Beyond business, Fernand Cival Rohe was a dedicated university educator and advocate for engineering in Venezuela. Founder of the Venezuelan-French Engineering Association, taught for over 30 years at the Central University of Venezuela, and helped create VENACOR, the Chamber of Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration of Venezuela.
His deep ties with French institutions led him to act as a technical and commercial liaison between the French and Venezuelan governments. In the 1970s, he played a pivotal role in guiding French firms in developing solutions for mass transportation in Venezuela, including early efforts toward the Caracas Metro system. For his service, he was awarded the Légion d’honneur (1st Class) by France and the Medal of Honor (1st Class) by Venezuela.
A New Generation – 1980s to 2016
In 1979, the third generation took the helm. Michel Cival Avellan, a young mechanical engineer and son of Fernand, began developing new companies under the name GroupVR. Guided by his father and later joined by his younger brother., the business remained focused on industrial innovation.
The first of these ventures was Tecnotrack C.A., a distribution company of industrial equipment and components, followed by Industrias Vander Rohe C.A, a heavy metal industry dedicated to the design and fabrication of Oil & Gas Process equipment, and Pioneers in Venezuela on dehydration Oil & Gas Treaters. In 2006, they expand internationally with the opening of operations in Mexico. Operating successfully for 36 years.
Group VR Venezuela (1980 to 2016)
Tecnotrack CA
Tecnotrack Vapor Industrial CA
Steam for the Industry
Tecnoequip CA
Cooling equipments
Tecnotrack Neumatica CA
Compress Air Equipment
Ferrodisenno CA
Steel manufacturing and Field Installation
Industrias Vander Rohe CA
Oil & Gas Process Equipment
Group VR in Mexico (1999-2016)
BAC Tecnoequip de Mexico SA de CV
Cooling Equipments
Procequip SA de CV
Dust Collection
Corpneumatics SA de CV
Compress Air Components
Equivar SA de CV
Investments in Mexico
Crisis and Resilience – 1999 to 2016
The rise of President Hugo Chávez in 1999 marked a turning point in Venezuela. His model of a «21st-century socialism» rapidly eroded investor confidence. With expropriations and economic instability on the rise, the industrial sector began to shrink. This political and economic crisis soon engulfed oil, construction, agriculture, tourism, and commerce—disrupting families and forcing mass migration.
Over 6 million Venezuelans—professionals, families, and entrepreneurs—left the country in search of stability.
This national collapse deeply affected GroupVR. In 2015, Michel’s younger brother Fernand Jr. parted ways with the family and the companies. The following year, Michel Cival chose to step back from active leadership.
Looking Forward – 2016 to Present
Despite these challenges, the fourth generation stepped up. Michel’s son and daughter assumed leadership of a weakened GroupVR, continuing the family legacy across Venezuela and Mexico,. Today, GroupVR represents nearly a century of entrepreneurship, adaptation, and commitment to excellence in industrial solutions—proof that values rooted in family, innovation, and resilience can endure across generations and borders.