Mexico
Aloe Jaumave S.A. de C.V.: Seeking customers in a proactive way

Aloe Jaumave S.A. de C.V., Jaumave, Tamaulipas, Mexico was founded in 1989 to produce aloe vera drinks, concentrates, powder and cosmetics. The company stated that customers do not line up automatically outside their factory; that is why they make a point of going out and actively searching for them.

Last year, the company, which employs 100 people, had revenues of over US$ 1 million, 75% of which were generated by exports to Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Says Aloe Jaumave S.A. de C.V.: "We have learned that we cannot stay in our factory waiting for the customers; we have to go out and find them." As a result of this philosophy, Aloe Jaumave S.A. de C.V., participates in expositions and trade fairs where they present their products and establish valuable business contacts.

In terms of support, the company credits Bancomext for arranging invitations to trade fairs and expositions as well as providing information about staff training and, operating manuals. The company says the Bancomext Web page (http://www.bancomext.com) keeps them informed of business opportunities.

Another source of support has been private consultants. "We have hired a consultant who has helped us to obtain a certificate of organic production from Farm Verified Organic (FVO), an organic certification agency that is accredited by the International Federation of Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)," the company says, adding that the consultant also directs them to potential customers in the Japanese market.

The company began producing aloe vera as a raw material many years ago and after hard work, good management and the help of Bancomext, it now exports principally to the United States, although it is finding new trade opportunities around the world. Now, the company says, it produces and exports finished, value-added products.

The company encountered obstacles such as sanitary/non-tariff measures in different countries. "Spain for example, has very strict sanitary regulations, since sanitary authorities consider the aloe vera drinks as medicine. When potential customers ask for samples of our products, they are not able to import them. The samples we send are confiscated by the Health Department, which requires a permission license from customers to import medicines. Our potential customers have not been able to obtain the permission license and this has limited our possibilities to introduce our drinks in the Spanish market."

In spite of such difficulties, Aloe Jaumave boasts that the quality and content of its product surpasses international standards and has even patented its process, called Total Process, to obtain the highest quantity of active aloe ingredient in the production process.

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For more information about Aloe Jaumave, S.A. de C.V., contact Mr. Ramiro Estrada Avalos.
Address: Mendez #501, C.P. 87930 Jaumave, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Tel.: + 52 832 336 00 99; Fax: +52 832 336 01 70; E-mail: aloejaumave@prodigy.net.mx
Website: www.aloejaumave.com
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