Alberto Aguilar, president and CEO of Carris Reels, discussed the company’s growth, sustainability initiatives, and business challenges in a recent interview. Aguilar also serves on the New England Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, which collects economic insights from regional business leaders.
Carris Reels produces reels and spools for industries such as wire, cable, rope, and hose. These products are made from wood, plywood, and plastic. “The cable that you connect your TV? That comes on one of our reels. When you’re driving on the highway and see powerlines, reels are what allow those cables to be installed. Reels play a silent but very important role in the industry,” Aguilar said.
He explained that Carris Reels operates as an intermediary in manufacturing: “In a way, we’re like a candy wrapper. What we manufacture needs to look good, function well, and protect what’s inside. In manufacturing, we’re the middle child – we sit between the company producing the linear product and the retailer or end user. People don’t always think about us, but we’re essential to the whole operation.”
Aguilar described his experience starting a plastics manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico in 1999: “At the time, our plastics division was relatively small, and expanding made sense – particularly in Mexico, where we had a strong customer base. That facility continues to serve our customers in Mexico and South America, but not only in reels. We inject plastic parts for other industries.”
He noted that tariffs have affected their operations by increasing costs and delaying equipment deliveries: “Because we source components from around the globe, tariffs affect everything from price to delivery timelines. For example, we invested in a piece of equipment at the end of 2024 that won’t be arriving until closer to the end of 2026. Tariffs have increased our costs, and it is not easy to pass those along. As a result, we have spent a lot of time deepening our lines of communication with our customers and being as transparent as possible.”
Sustainability is a focus for Carris Reels. “I’m especially excited about our sustainability efforts. On the wood side, we recently earned the Forest Stewardship Council certification, which means we source wood from responsibly managed forests. We recycle both plastic and wood reels by the tens of thousands every month. Plus, 95% of our plastic reels are made with recycled or reprocessed plastic,” Aguilar said.
He commented on industry trends: “Our industry continues to grow. Despite the talk of ‘wireless’ technology, more connectivity still requires more wire. We’ve supported wind and solar projects, and the expansion of data centers – which require a tremendous amount of cabling – has been another driver.”
Aguilar emphasized employee ownership at Carris Reels: “Maintaining a strong workforce is critical. Carris Reels is 100% employee-owned and governed so our employees truly have skin in the game. There’s a shared interest in building long-term value and mentoring younger talent to ensure the business continues growing for many years to come.”
On competition within their market he said: “There are many strong competitors in our market but we believe there’s room for everyone. We’ll all be here for the long run if we do things the right way.”
Reflecting on his service with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s advisory council—which operates across six New England states as part of its mission to foster sound economic growth (https://www.bostonfed.org/)—Aguilar stated: “I have gained valuable insight into how interest rate decisions are made and the many factors that influence them. I’ve also learned how challenging those decisions are given the wide range of input from very different industries geographies and businesses of varying sizes.”
“I have learned a lot from my peers on the council – it’s a very impressive group of business leaders. There are always ‘golden nuggets’ and takeaways after every meeting. My goal is to make those exchanges mutually valuable by sharing my perspective while learning from others to strengthen our collective understanding,” he added.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston plays an active role in supporting community revitalization through research outreach monetary policy banking oversight payment services financial stability efforts across New England (https://www.bostonfed.org/). Susan Collins has served as President since July 2022 (https://www.bostonfed.org/).
For more information or media inquiries regarding regional economic analysis or leadership at Boston Fed visit their official website.
