In Memoriam: Rafael Azkarate

Rafael Azkarate, founder and principal of Bergara, Spain-based Iraundi Special Bearings for more than 50 years, passed away on June 2 at age 77. A native of Bergara in the Basque Country, Azkarate founded Iraundi in 1972. Through vision, commitment and hard work, he grew it into a global provider of bearings for the vertical-transportation, automotive, railway, energy, aerospace, robotics and industrial machinery industries. A strong proponent of investment in R&D, Azkarate strove to take the company abroad. He opened a factory in Chile in 1995. In 2000, he brought the Basque company to Australia to better serve customers in the Oceania region. “As a result of Rafael’s open vision, Iraundi exports 95% of its production and is present on all five continents with a highly diversified market,” according to the company, which said it intends to carry on Azkarate’s legacy.