The second level of Spanish capitalism during the Restoration periodThe Escoriaza group, a family-owned conglomerate in the world of public works

Resumen

The different businesses within the railway sector are closely interwoven. Three of these businesses are especially important: the actual construction of the works, the supply of material and project restructuring. One particular family of entrepreneurs, the “Escoriazas”, operated efficiently in all three of these segments. Through a conglomerate of family-run companies, for decades the group was engaged in the complex and fluid world of the periphery of the large railway businesses. To do this, the “Escoriazas” drew from a broad network of national and international financial contacts and formed a large group of companies and contractors, becoming masters in the constitution, management and dissolution of these companies. The historiography reveals it to be a highly interesting differentiated segment. On the one hand were the large railway companies; and on the other, the small construction contractors which are almost opaque for historians. This business conglomerate of the Escoriaza family is fairly transparent and can be used to explain how these businesses operated.