Coliman Celebrates 58 Years of Production
We are delighted to be celebrating the 58th birthday of our producer and partner, Coliman.
This year, Coliman is celebrating 58 years of production. Throughout the past 5 decades, Coliman has remained at the forefront of sustainable, socially responsible and premium quality banana production.
Founded in 1963, by Mr. Custodio Aguilar, today the entire Coliman group remains to be a family-run business.
The family was an imperative part of the company’s development, as in 1978 – 15 years after Coliman was founded – Jorge Aguilar Heredia (Mr Custodio Aguilar’s son) officially founded the AGGALL Coliman Group.
21 years later, in 1999, Jorge Angel Aguilar Jr. joined Coliman as the third generation member of his family to assist with the management and running of the business.
Coliman now has eight organic banana farms in total and two conventional banana farms, all of which are based in the area surrounding the Mexican city of Tecoman. From this point, Coliman can distribute its produce across the globe.
According to the CEO of Coliman, this location is a key part of the company’s success:
“It’s a beautiful region with mountains near the sea, surrounded by paradisiac landscapes. However, it is also a strategic location due to the international connectivity and availability of world-class logistics. That has supported us in leading the export of organic bananas in Mexico, reaching more than 10 destinations all over the world.”
The company’s key customers are located in the areas of North America, Europe and Asia. In fact, Coliman now exports around 4.5 million boxes of bananas every single year.
In addition to its beautiful farms in sunny Mexico, Coliman has also expanded its outreach to include commercial and distribution centres across North America, including Mexico, California and Arizona. Coliman has also established a commercial office in Britain.
Even as Coliman continues to expand, the company remains true to its original ethos.
Throughout Coliman years in the industry, social responsibility has been of pivotal importance to the business.
As Jorge Aguilar Jr. stated:
“We are determined to provide our 2,400 employees with a healthy and safe environment that benefits their personal and professional development. We are confident that the success of the company is grounded by its workers.”
These principles also expand to the communities in which the company’s workers live. Coliman hosts a wide range of charitable work, including nutrition talks in schools, full school kits gifted to children at elementary school, health care services, campaigns against child labour, and food pantries for vulnerable groups. This brilliant, conscious work has helped to support the lives of over 9,000 people.
Coliman also places the support of the natural world as another of its key priorities. The company has a thorough, responsible sustainability programme, representing a firm belief in the importance of operating in an eco-conscious way.
In 2020, Coliman planted 260 trees on their farms and created a ‘living fence’, on which over 3,000 native plants were able to thrive. They also installed 760 solar panels to improve the energy efficiency of their farms.
According to Jorge Aguilar Jr., “the coming years will bring expansion in organic production and investment in technology.
“The coming years will bring a renewed focus on expanding our organic production, market development in targeted regions, direct customer relationships, continued investment in technology and deliver a great customer experience.”
At Coliman Allfresch, we are immensely proud of the partnership that we have established with Coliman. The integrated partnership allows our two businesses to provide our clients with sustainable produce, and a consistent supply of bananas throughout the year.
Through this partnership, we have developed strong, long-term relationships with partners who share the same ethos as we do.
We cannot wait to see what the future holds for Coliman and our ongoing partnership with them.
Happy Birthday, Coliman!
