A new joint venture between Mexican and U.S. avocado growers and importers has broken ground on Casa APEAM.

The Producers and Packers/Exporters of Avocado of Mexico are investing $12 million for the project, which will house the corporate offices of APEAM, the local offices of the Mexican Department of Agriculture and Agrarian Development, the offices in Mexico of the Department of Agriculture of the United States, as well as a special research-and-development avocado orchard, which will be used to improve production through technology.At the Casa APEAM groundbreaking event, the Governor of Michoacán Silvano Aureoles Conejo, Municipal President of Uruapan Manuel Manríquez González, President of APEAM Gabriel Villaseñor and Mike Browne, president of the board of MHAIA in the U.S., were among those on hand to lower a time capsule containing avocado industry archives.

Since 1997, avocados from the Michoacán region have been the only ones certified by the USDA to be exported to the United States. “The objective of Casa APEAM is to provide a central location to improve the development and sustainability of Mexican avocado exports,” said Gabriel Villaseñor, president of APEAM.

In partnership with the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association, APEAM has greatly contributed to increasing Mexican avocado consumption in the U.S., as well as promoting the wellbeing of Michoacán producers and packers, through the brand Avocados From Mexico, its marketing arm in the U.S.

To celebrate the groundbreaking construction of Casa APEAM, avocado growers and packers gathered prominent local, state, federal and international figures, including the Governor of Michoacán Silvano Aureoles Conejo, the Municipal President of Uruapan Manuel Manríquez González and Mike Browne, president of MHAIA in the U.S.

“I offer thanks to all the producers and packers who work together day-by-day,” said Villaseñor, who recognized the effort of those who helped form APEAM and carry out the work to benefit more than 37,000 workers throughout Mexico.

“During the 60s and 70s, people in my native U.S. state, New York, didn’t know about avocados or what to do with them, but all that’s changed thanks to the work of APEAM, MHAIA and AFM — everyone, everywhere knows and loves avocados now,” said Browne.

“Casa APEAM will now be the epicenter of collaboration of all avocado producers to gather and improve market planning, development, and the business environment for all the stakeholders of the Mexican avocado,” added Browne.