The pioneering founder of Grupo Ramos, the man who revolutionized the Dominican Republic’s modern retail landscape, Román Ramos Uría, passed away Wednesday at the age of 84. His family and the leading retail conglomerate confirmed the news in an official public statement.
Ramos Uría was born in October 1941 in the small town of Pola de Allande in Asturias, Spain. He migrated to the Dominican Republic when he was just 18 years old, laying the groundwork for what would become a decades-long legacy of business transformation in his adopted nation. In 1963, he joined the iconic local retailer La Sirena as a staff member, and only two years later, amid the upheaval of the 1965 April Revolution, he purchased the store entirely. That purchase marked the starting point of the Grupo Ramos empire that would come to dominate the country’s retail sector.
As head of the growing company, Ramos Uría introduced a series of groundbreaking industry changes that upended traditional retail practices in the Dominican Republic. He brought self-service shopping models, transparent fixed pricing, and innovative new store concepts that had not been widely adopted in the country before. Under his direction, the company launched multiple successful branded chains, including the popular supermarket chain Super Pola, discount retailer Aprezio, and the upscale shopping center brand Multiplaza. What began as a single store grew into one of the largest retail groups in the nation, currently supporting more than 10,000 direct jobs across the Dominican Republic, boosting local economic growth and employment access for thousands of families.
In 2005, Ramos Uría made the decision to step down from his role as executive president of Grupo Ramos, passing the leadership mantle to his daughter Mercedes Ramos. He did not step away from the business entirely, however, continuing to serve as chairman of the board of directors. In this capacity, he remained actively involved in guiding the company’s institutional growth and building sustainable, long-term governance frameworks that would carry the firm into future generations.
Beyond his far-reaching impact on the Dominican business world, Ramos Uría was widely celebrated for his personal commitment to core values of integrity, humility, and dedicated hard work. He was also a consistent supporter of social development initiatives across the country, partnering with prominent non-profit organizations including Fe y Alegría, a global education movement for marginalized communities, Sanar una Nación, a local public health and community support group, and UNICEF’s work in the Dominican Republic.
Earlier this year, the Dominican government granted Ramos Uría citizenship through privileged naturalization, a formal recognition of his decades of contributions to the nation’s economy and his extraordinary standing as a business leader.
In their official statement following his passing, the Ramos Fernández family and Grupo Ramos noted that Ramos Uría’s legacy will live on through the enduring values he embedded in the company, the leadership model he built, and the lasting impact he left on the entire Dominican business community. The statement also extended the family and company’s gratitude to the public for the outpouring of support and condolences they have received in the wake of his death.