Natalia Merienne started her avocado business from the back of her car in San Diego in the U.S. and quickly became known as "La Reina del Aguacate". Today, she has a flourishing avocado import and distribution business in the U.S. with the brand popularly referred to as the Avocado Queen.
"My business is Avocado Queen, and we are producers and importers. We bring fruits and vegetables into the U.S. Our main costumers are supermarkets that buy wholesale produce from us. I am a Latina woman owner of a produce business and a full-time mom. I am founder and sales director of my own business," states Merienne.
She was inspired by her grandma when growing up in Mexico, "She was my inspiration. She introduced this love of avocados into my life since a very young age, and coming from a Mexican family, avocado could never not be on our table. I really love that avocados aren't just delicious, but also nutritious, and that makes me feel like I am not only just selling a product, but a healthy product too. I founded the company in 2016. We have about 180 team members in Mexico, Peru and in the U.S."
Her inspiration to own a business that promotes healthy eating, saw her own a Juice Bar in downtown San Diego. "My leap into the produce business was just that, a leap. To start my company Avocado Queen I sold my condo in San Diego, the money that I got from the sale I put together with my life savings and with that money I bought my first truckload of avocados from Mexico and then started selling them in the San Diego area. I was all in on this adventure. I believe that in order to have success in this or in any other industry, you must have perseverance and discipline, but most importantly, it is to believe in your project. But really the produce business is a people business where building strong relationships with your customers, growers and team are particularly important. When I started to sell my first load of avocados, I knocked on the door of many warehouses in the San Diego area offering avocados from the trunk of my car. The potential clients found it very funny and very odd because this is not the common way to sell in this industry, so they started to call me La Reina del Aguacate. I took that name with pride," explains Merienne.
Now she imports several weekly loads of avocados and other fruit and vegetables from Mexico into the U.S. Avocado Queen is the brand with her company name Avocado Queen distributes our fresh avocados to all regions of the United States, including the West Coast, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast. To ensure efficient and timely deliveries, we have established strategic distribution points and warehouses in San Diego, California, Nogales, Arizona and McAllen,Texas. These locations enable us to effectively serve our customers across the country," states Merienne.
The Avocado Queen also sources avocados from other South American countries. The marketing of fresh tomatoes is also going well for her. "In addition to our Mexican partnerships, we're pleased to offer avocados from other regions, that include Peru, and California, USA where we've established strong relationships with local California growers to offer domestic avocados, further enhancing our year-round supply. By diversifying our sourcing, we ensure a consistent and high-quality avocado supply for our customers. In addition to avocados, we're delighted to import and market fresh tomatoes, from Baja California, Mexico, with a seasonal focus on summer and fall production. This season typically runs from July through November, during which we receive a steady supply of fresh tomatoes."
Merienne now has her sights set on expanding into the Canadian market. "As we look to the future, I'm thrilled to share that expanding into the Canadian market is a key priority for us. We're encouraged by the positive momentum and potential for growth in this region. Our goal is to build strong relationships with Canadian customers and partners, providing them with the same exceptional service and quality products that we're known for."
For more information:
Natalia Merienne
The Avocado Queen
[email protected]
www.avocadoqueen.us