Company & Team
Pecán Argentina is a family agricultural business, built on two strong pillars of expertise: the company combines the production and the distribution of one of the healthiest fruits on Earth. Pecán Argentina is already among the Top 20 pecan plantations worldwide, and will reach Top 10 after the second round of investment, covering 1200 hectares of trees.
For decades, the Villar and Rohde families have been involved in the production and worldwide distribution of high-quality food products from Argentina.
The Argentinian Villar family has owned and harvested land in Goya, Corrientes for over 200 years and the German Rohde family has been trading South American and European produce for almost 100 years, primarily selling and distributing wine, beef and other perishable goods. The joining of these Argentinian and German families and their expertise has resulted in this agricultural endeavor.
The Corrientes region provides the perfect conditions for growing pecans. Noticing a gap in a continuously growing market for pecan nuts, the management team realized that this would be the perfect opportunity to produce and distribute a finished end-product, not something that is commonly done in Argentina.
Distribution and Marketing
Initially, the distribution is intended to cater to the growing markets of the Mercosur-countries.
For decades, the Management Team has held intensive business relations within Argentina, Uruguay and especially with Brazil as a direct neighbour and huge potential customer.
The operating families have over 50 years of experience in export and maintain various offices throughout the U.S., South America and Europe. There is direct access to leading Pecan traders, as well as leading producers in the U.S., food importers and distribution channels in China, Taiwan, Germany, France and Spain.
This allows the company to distribute globally, far beyond the Mercosur region. The fact that the Southern Hemisphere‘s production is offset by half a year to the U.S. harvest is an additional advantage, leading to higher sales in Northern Hemisphere markets (USA, China and Europe).
Business Background
The demand for Pecans in the world market continues to rise. For the past 30 years, the Pecan nut has benefited from a growing market, the constant increase in demand has exceeded supply, resulting in maximum sales at a high price. While production is estimated to double in the upcoming 15 years, the market demand is forecast to grow by 400% over the same time span.
The main customers are the U.S., where Pecans are already part of the daily diet. Demand in China, the second major market, is rapidly rising. The exponential growth of the world population creates the need of even greater amounts of nutrient-rich foods.
An adequate supply of nutrients can only be ensured if especially rich foods, like the Pecan nut, are given a more prominent position in dietary recommendations in the future. In addition, health consciousness grows constantly in industrialized nations and emerging markets. The Pecan nut, as a nutritious and healthy food, embodies the spirit of the time.
Price evolution of in-shell pecans from 1980 to 2018
Our Vision
Our mission is to develop the most powerful, sustainable and healthy agricultural business in Argentina,
and one of the global leaders in the pecan nuts market.
Pecán Argentina links economic attractiveness with environmental sustainability. It proves that exceptional profitability, community involvement and social responsibility can successfully engage with each other.
We base our development and continued growth on five building blocks that represent the ethos of our company and our strengths that will help us become one of the world market leaders in pecan production:
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Eco-friendly
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Social Responsibility
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Exceptional Profitability
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Sustainability
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Emerging Markets
Management Board
The management board consists of members of the Villar and Rohde families, although external organizations have been consulted from the initial stages on.
Dr. Julian Urquijo
President
Tomas Villar de Rohde
Deputy
Anna Villar de Rohde
Deputy
Karsten Roloff
Deputy
Helge Heyd
CFO
Advisory Board
The following independent advisers assist our company:
CHAIRMAN BOARD OF ADVISORS
Dominicus H. Rohde
CEO Siete Marias Group; CEO Pecan Argentina; President of InNuts Investment Fund, Luxembourg; Advisor to Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Corrientes, AR; Member of National Pecan Cluster of Argentina; Member of the German Horticultural Association.
AGRONOMICS & NUTRITION
Agustín Perez Bourbon
Agricultural Engineer, Farmer, Pecan Export Expert, Professor at UBUniversity, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Prof. Dr. Nicolai Worm
Professor at the German University of Applied Sciences for Prevention and Health Management, Germany
INVESTMENT
Vincent Derudder
President of the FECIF, European Federation of Financial Advisors and Financial Intermediaries,
Brussels, Belgium
Miguel Muñoz
Managing Partner, First Dominium Group, Luxembourg
LEGAL & TAX
Juan Popken
Lawyer Buenos Aires and Hamburg, Argentina and Germany
Mariano Tomatis
Partner PricewaterhouseCoopers Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Our Partners
Pecán Argentina has developed with the expertise of various institutions and research universities on the advisory board.
With regards to the agronomics of the pecan nut, the primary body consulted has been the INTA, the National Institute of Agricultural Technology in Argentina with their leading pecan experts. INTA is set up of 47 experiment stations, 260 extension units, and 15 research institutes.
These enable INTA to contribute substantially to production and land management change processes that Argentine agriculture needs to be able to compete in the world’s new production and marketing scenario.
Disclaimer & Risk Notification
All agricultural investments bear certain risks. Shareholders become co-owners of the land, which is expected to increase dramatically in value and reduce risks. All numbers are calculated on a very conservative basis, 2% USD inflation cost and 12% country risk considered. All numbers are based on the wholesale of nuts-in-shell, meaning the lowest potential turnover.
This presentation constitutes no guarantee for statements herein, as these may reflect expectations of forecasts of future corporate actions, market activity, financial performance and future investment strategies. These statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions which could cause actual events, results to differ significantly from the information presented in or implied by this document.