Businesses see opportunity in Chiquita's return

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Monday, 05.26.14
Businesses see opportunity in Chiquita's return
By MARIA CLARK
New Orleans CityBusiness

NEW ORLEANS -- A hundred years ago, New Orleans was the largest importer of bananas in the United States. The presence of Chiquita's predecessor, United Brands, allowed several local institutions — such as Ochsner Health System, Louisiana State University and Tulane University — to extend their international reach to Central and South America.

United Brands operated in New Orleans for nearly seven decades before leaving for Gulfport, Mississippi, in the 1970s. Its departure coincided with rapid growth in competing markets, such as Houston and Miami, and the erosion of New Orleans' relationships with Latin America.

Business leaders predict that Chiquita's return, which company representatives and Louisiana officials announced recently, could help rebuild many of those ties.

Pan-American Life Insurance Group's origins are directly tied to the growth of the banana industry. New Orleans native Crawford Ellis founded the company in 1911 to provide personal and business insurance to people and businesses in Central and South America. Chiquita is still one of its regional accounts, so its return to New Orleans is good news for the company, Pan-American President, CEO and Chairman José Suquet said.

"I believe (Chiquita's announcement) is as good an opportunity as we have seen in the last 40 years to help re-establish our presence in Central America," Suquet said. "Both Houston and Miami are more expensive and busier markets. We can provide an attractive alternative compared to them."

More:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/26//v-fullstory/4126998/businesses-see-opportunity-in.html#storylink=cpy

[MisterP]

1. are they moving back in?

they invented the "banana republic" and ensured their candidates won (though to be fair the opposing party was Standard Fruit)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiburcio_Carías_Andino
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Ubico
UFCO got taken over--and the raider then went out the 44th floor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_M._Black

[Judi Lynn]

2. Thanks for the information on early Banana Republic Presidents and United Fruit

and Standard Fruit.

What a shame Black went out his window. Had no idea you could open a window with a briefcase!

Didn't know Dole was formerly "Standard Fruit." Partners in crime.

Wikipedia changed its URL on Tiburcio Carias to a new one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiburcio_Car%C3%ADas_Andino

Ruthless, megalomaniacal people got control over a lot of helpless human beings then, and were sustained in power. The bully from the North clearly delighted in their twisted leadership "skills".
They gave their countries' resources away, along with the lives of the citizens who had to work for a living.

Qué lástima.

[MisterP]

3. DU doesn't take Unicode in links, I learned

here's "The Green Prison" (the author hit a mountain in Slovakia, of all things)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Amaya_Amador

[Judi Lynn]

4. Wow. Those tentacles are always longer than people realize, aren't they?

His son is involved in seeing his country progress, in his place. Good for him.

Thank you for introducing this name.

[MisterP]

5. and tangled as well as long--the CIA dropped UFCO like a rotten Cavendish

once Arbenz was overthrown--it wasn't even really done to benefit UFCO; most of these conspirators sorta hate each other for "horning in" on their turf

Latin American politics is VERY literary (sometimes the words break Google Translate they're so arcane--"anfictionía"?)

[Judi Lynn]

6. That's ripe! The CIA must not have wanted its name associated with anything unsavory! n/t