www.ebizguides.com
200
Agriculture and Fisheries
leomuy@unexelsalvador.com
www.unexelsalvador.com
Activity: Commercialization of coffee
Effective date of operations: 1992
UNEX is one of the largest coffee export companies
of El Salvador. In 1992, the Grupo De Sola (DeSola
Group) promoted the integration of companies looking
for efficiency in the coffee operations area regarding
the processing and exporting of coffee, through
strategic alliances with traditional coffee producers.
This effort combined the expertise of five families
in coffee producing and exporting with more than a
century of experience. These five exporters are: H.
DeSola, Cristiani Burker, the Meza family with El
Sauce (Agrisal), the Kriete family and the Moratalla
family with Beneficio Los Reyes (the Los Reyes
Coffee Mill); none of them is a majority share holder.
Later in 1997, the alliance with the Japanese firm
ITOCHU, as a strategic partner, has allowed UNEX
to venture into one of the fastest growing markets in
the world. They are present virtually everywhere in
the world. The combined effort of all the partners and
executive staff has allowed UNEX to become one
of the most important companies that export coffee
from El Salvador, currently operating three coffee
mills strategically located in the interior of the country
with the processing and exporting capability of over
400,000 quintals of gold coffee of excellent quality to
the international markets.
To explain the UNEX business, they generate profits
with the margin of exports they make. The higher
the volume of exports the more profits obtained as
intermediaries or coffee traders. Their suppliers are
Salvadoran coffee producers and their final clients
are coffee toasters from all over the world or brokers
that buy gold coffee.
UNEX provides its clients with complete services,
guaranteeing their total satisfaction exceeding
their expectations. For example, agile and timely
credit, the best local prices, specialized agriculture
consulting services, daily market information,
transportation from farm to the mill, sacks and rope,
personalized service, agencies and coffee collectors
throughout the country.
They work with different qualities of gold coffee,
representing brands such as DeSola Fancy,
Pacamara, Punda and Shasta of strictly high ground;
brands of medium high ground such as rainforest,
organic and magnolia; and low ground such as
Dorindama.
UNEX has characterized itself by its interest in the
social and environmental impacts caused by coffee
processing and its effects on the quality of life,
which is why it is involved in different environmental
projects dedicated to improving and correcting the
negative impacts caused by the production and
processing of coffee.
As a result of this effort UNEX was recognized in
2001 by receiving the National Environment Award
in the category of entrepreneurial efforts.
“We are the Tom Thumb of America, but we are an
impressive country with most amicable people. We
have the best roads with which a person can cross
the country in 2-3 hours, allowing them to enjoy
climbing a volcano in the morning and visiting the
beach in the afternoon, with 365 days of sunshine
per year. El Salvador is one of the best countries in
which to live, invest and work.”
Leopoldo Muyshondt - UNEX General Manager