Manuelita

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Grupo Manuelita is a Colombian agribusiness corporation, headquartered in Palmira, Valle del Cauca, whose main products are refined sugar, ethanol, palm oil and shrimp.

It was founded in 1864 when don Santiago Eder, an American citizen born in Mitau, Courland, bought the hacienda "La Manuelita", located near Palmira, from famed novelist Jorge Isaacs at public auction. The farm's namesake was Manuela Ferrer Scarpetta, Isaacs' mother.^[1]

Eder planted various crops, including coffee in the farm, but eventually centered on sugar, and "on the first day of the first year of the twentieth century" he inaugurated Colombia's a new sugar mill which had Colombia's first steam engine, and replaced the former ox powered mill.^[2]

After don Santiago's retirement in 1903, Manuelita continued to grow under the leadership of his sons Charles "Carlos" Eder, and Henry "Enrique" Eder, his grandson Harold Eder, and his great-grandson Henry Eder, who is still Chairman of the Board. In 1980, the size of the company was cut in half, after barely surviving a hostile takeover from Carlos Ardila Lülle's business group.

Under Henry Eder's stewardship Manuelita's sugar business has recovered its previous size in Colombia and expanded to ventures in Peru and Brasil. Aditionally, the company has diversified to other products such as shrimp, palm oil, ethanol, asparagus, and table grapes.

Many details of Manuelita's business affairs from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are preserved at the Phanor James Eder Collection at the University of Miami, which includes a great deal of don Santiago's business correspondence.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• www.manuelita.com - the company website.
• EDER, FAMILIA - article at the Luis Ángel Arango Library, which is administered by Colombia's Bank of the Republic, the central bank.
• Phanor James Eder Collection at the University of Miami