"I Felt a Profound Admiration" | Interview with Albert Guarch, Public Relations

As one of the veterans at Montana Colors, Albert Guarch has occupied several different functions throughout his career since he started preparing orders alone in the first MTN warehouse. Today, he works as an international sales and customer service ambassador, thanks to his extensive experience and his profound knowledge of the company.
This latest chapter of We Are Montana Colors features a long-overdue interview with Albert, whose business card reads "Public Relations," although “Legend” would be more appropriate.

When did you start working at MTN? How many people were there when you joined?

My adventure with Montana began at the end of 1996, at that time there were about seven or eight people in total. I started in the Vacarisses warehouse which ended up being the Montana factory after a few months. But in 1996 the factory was still in Esparraguera, and so was the rest of the team.

What idea did you have about the company and what you were going to do?

At that time Montana was a very young company which was growing very fast. Somehow, all of us who were part of Montana did a little of everything, in my case mainly warehouse management and commercial support - helping Jordi Rubio with clients, deliveries, preparing orders and so on.

What relationship did you have with graffiti? How did you feel when you began to get involved in the scene?

I was just a spectator of graffiti. I noticed graffiti on the street and not much else. At most, I had bought some spray paint to use on my bicycle.

When I started to discover the world of graffiti through working at Montana, I was amazed. I could never have imagined everything that was behind it: walls, trains, interrail, writers traveling the world to paint and have good times with other writers who sometimes didn't even speak their language. Respect, inspiration. I felt a deep admiration for it.

You’ve experienced the entire evolution of Montana Colors. Have you got used to the constant growth of the company?

From the outside it may seem that Montana has enjoyed an uninterrupted meteoric rise, but in fact there has been a lot of hard work behind the scenes. Although almost every year there has been growth compared to the previous year, there were also more complicated times. From 2001 to 2002 we suffered attacks of unfair competition and there was a fire in the old Vacarisses production plant, which left the company in crisis. But thanks to everyone's effort and commitment we were able to move forward with more enthusiasm and energy than before if that were possible.

How do you think that the culture of graffiti has evolved? Has it always got stronger have there been weaker times?

From my point of view, graffiti is a vibrant culture that’s constantly evolving, it’s never stopped changing and it never will. Yes, it is true that at the end of the 90’s and the beginning of the 2000’s there was a massive boom, but over the years we’ve seen how it has evolved into lots of different forms.

Do you think that this evolution has affected the brand, or the other way around?

I think it's reciprocal. Montana has helped graffiti evolve in a certain way, but above all, graffiti has helped Montana grow. More recently, other sectors such as fine arts, home decoration and industry have put a new spin on Montana's organic evolution.

You’ve met many writers, some of them legendary. Do you have any special memories with any of them?

I don't like to mention names because I’d feel bad for people I don't name, since all the writers I've met have left an impression on me in some way. But for the record, I’ll mention the Montana Technicians in the early 2000s: Rocky (Cent at that time), Sok and Ome, Dems (Most at that time), Dibo, Zeta, Sems, el Niño de las pinturas, Okuda. Later Sawe, San, Os Gemeos, El Mac, Dran, KR, Honet, Mist, Tilt, Sen2, Part One, Blade and Remio.

Some of the writers were friends, others have come to visit the factory or collaborate with Montana.

Of course, I also have to mention my first contacts who have a special place in my heart as they were my first contacts: Kapi and Moockie. I will never forget the feeling of going to Bunker Store for the first time, the graffiti shop they ran in Barcelona. ​​From then on I began to understand this exciting world much better.

You’ve traveled all over the world. Which places have surprised you the most and why?

Every place is surprising if you know how to see it with receptive eyes, it doesn't matter if it's on the other side of the world or around the corner from home. But of course, being European, the places that have surprised me the most have been on other continents, generally for cultural reasons. For example, in Japan graffiti exists, but it’s much more orderly and respectful of the rules; if something is prohibited, it is prohibited for everyone, including writers, or so it seemed to me at least.

You speak seven languages, right? How do you keep all that information in your head?

I really don't really speak many of them that well (hahahaha). But yeah, I like languages I’m always keen to learn and communicate or understand as much as possible. I almost always dream and think in my mother tongue, Catalan, but it really doesn't mean any mental trouble for me. I generally separate languages ​​and circumstances well.

You are one of the most charismatic members of the team, with an unwaveringly calm and positive attitude. Do you have any specific approach when it comes to relating to people and working?

Well, I might look chill on the outside, but I also have my impulsive and nervous moments, like everyone else. Empathy is very important to me, knowing how to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Remembering that what you don't want for yourself, you shouldn’t want for others.

I also try to treat everyone with respect, that’s basic on a personal level. At work, I always try to treat clients equally, no matter how big or small, as well as suppliers. I’ve been taught to be humble and that’s what I always try to transmit.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned?

That the small details are also very important in everything you do, in the end everything adds up and, sometimes, what seems to be of little importance can become fundamental.

If someone had told you how the company would change during your time at Montana Colors, how would you have reacted?

Honestly, I could never have imagined it. 26 years have passed for me, and the changes have been fast, but the result of a natural evolution.

On my first day at Montana, I could have imagined a year ahead, but not much further. When I joined, I didn’t know the potential that the brand had, and I certainly couldn’t have imagined where Montana was headed in the future.

You can read a detailed oral history of Montana Colors in the We Were There series, published in MTN News.

Check out interviews with more key figures in the Montana Colors brand here.