UPM – 10 Years

The Netherlands became our gateway. Not just because it is the main entry point for fruit into Europe, but because it represented possibility. So we rolled up our sleeves and we built and prepared, but most of all, we believed.

And in 2016, United Producers of Mexico was born. I still remember that day in Rotterdam: forty people from Michoacán, two ambassadors, the mayor of Morelia.

All of us standing together, cutting a ribbon that symbolized far more than an opening. It was not just the beginning of a company, it was the beginning of a bridge.

And then… reality began, the long days, the endless visits to clients, the logistics that never sleep. All the conversations, the negotiations, the doubts, and also the breakthroughs. Our office on Westblaak became more than an office, it became a place where Mexico met Europe every single day.

And through it all, one product remained at the heart of our story: Avocados. But not just avocados as a commodity, avocados as the result of human effort, and of seasons, of risk, of families who depend on every harvest.

What changed me the most over these years… was not the business itself, it was the people, the growers who wake up every day with uncertainty, who invest months of work before seeing a single result, who trust that what they produce will find its way to someone’s table. And if there is one thing that has driven me, it is them. Because behind every box that is exported, there is a story of dedication that deserves to be honored.

Over the past ten years, we have done more than I can even list, more than 24 trade missions, the first exports from Mexico to Europe with our support, the trial sailing of the the express sea route, that changed the way quality could be delivered.

And when the world stopped… we didn’t, we adapted: Webinars and online Matchmakings, finding new ways of connecting. Because connection was never optional for us, it was the essence of what we do.

But if you ask me what has truly mattered…it has never been just growth, or expansion, or volume. It has been impact. Helping growers and exporters achieve better economic results, by creating real, tangible bridges with the European market. And step by step improving every part of the process. Because excellence is not only in the product, it is in everything that happens before it arrives. And that has been our commitment: To make Mexican avocados not only recognized for their quality… but trusted for the integrity of the entire journey.

Ten years later, what I feel most… is gratitude, for every person who believed.
For every partner who joined us, for every challenge that shaped us. And for the team - a team of experts, of committed people - who have put their heart into every step of this journey. In particular Cinthia, who has become the other vital part of UPM.

Because that is what UPM truly is. Not just a company, not just a platform. It has become a bridge, that is built with trust, sustained by people, and driven by purpose.

And this… is only the beginning.