Andres Herrera

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED? 

by Burke Campbell

Published in the Financial Post

February 25, 2008

Andres Herrera owns and runs More Than Mangos ( www.morethanmangos.com ), a venture that imports and sells exotic fruits from Alberta. Andres Herrera tells Burke Campbell what motivated him to become an entrepreneur.

FAMILY HISTORY:  “I come from a family of entrepreneurs. My grandfather owned his pharmacy and my dad owns a franchise of cosmetics in Colombia . My mother pushed me to start my own business, but I never wanted to.”

LATE BLOOMER:  “Since I speak English and Spanish, a career coach suggested I find work that would exploit my language skills. I thought of importing products from my native Colombia, but I couldn’t decide what they would be.”

A CHANCE REMARK: “One day, a friend remarked that he wished he could buy passion fruit in  Calgary, as he could in Colombia. That’s when I had my ‘eureka’ moment. I realized  Alberta was ripe for fresh fruit in greater variety.”

THE FRUIT OF PASSION: “I named my company More Than Mangos. We are currently distributing to local hotels, restaurants, farmers’ markets and home delivery services. But interest is growing and we plan to ship across North America.”

GOOD DEAL: “For lasting success, everyone must benefit. I buy from a co-op of three hundred Colombian farmers. The farmers receive a fair price and Canadians get the best of nutritious fruit.”

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