Company
Founded in 2004, Cruzeto is a land management company overseeing the agricultural development and environmental sustainment of a unique 500 hectare (1200+ acre) property located on the Pacific coast of Jalisco, Mexico.
Located 2 hours south of Puerto Vallarta, this beautiful property is within sight of the Sierra Madre mountain range and is near the community of Cruz de Loreto, Tomatlán. This property contains an active cattle ranch, a lagoon, a large pineapple plantation, and a substantial tree nursery used for reforestation.
Cruzeto takes environmental sustainability seriously, fostering a culture of respect and well-being for all living things. We believe our hard work and integrity cultivate happiness and opportunity for our partners and community. Cruzeto currently employees approximately 60 people to sustain and improve this land, and by performing agricultural and livestock activities. These 10 years of work have created a positive impact in the local economy of the town.
Among our future goals is the creation of an environmentally respectful residential development on this property.
The preservation and awareness of the sensitive natural resources of the area such as the wetlands of the Ermitaño the marine turtles that hatch every winter on our coastline, and the reforestation of native trees are an essential focus of our company.
History
Mr. Eugen Rapp, a German entrepreneur in the automotive industry, and his business partner Claus Hölper, enjoyed dreaming of one day building a Mexican Hacienda on the beautiful Pacific coast of Mexico. Their hope was to acquire a modest but beautiful property where they could enjoy the simple pleasures of growing vegetables, cooking, and appreciating the Mexican music, culture, and lifestyle.
When the time came to put their dream into action, they sought out land near the small village of Cruz de Loreto, 2 hours south of Puerto Vallarta. Their search introduced them to many interesting properties and people along the way. Finally in September 2004, they discovered the beautiful property called El Ranchito, a gorgeous sanctuary of 400 hectares (990 acres). The land had a large lagoon embedded in the center of it, agricultural land, beach front dunes and areas which had great potential for considerable residential development. This land was much larger than they originally envisioned. However, the beauty, scale, and versatility of this place introduced a much larger opportunity of possibilities for their original vision.
This new vision became the foundation for their new business which they called Cruzeto. This name was chosen with the intention that the nearby village residents of Cruz de Loreto could identify and embrace this new business since they would eventually become an essential part of its development and success.
In January 2005, the property of El Ranchito was officially transferred from the family ownership of the children of Mr. Alfonso Garcia Castillón to the family of Mr. Eugen Rapp. The Rapp family was ready to pursue this dream and begin to make it a reality.
With this ambitious new endeavor it became clear that an adventurous leadership spirit is what this project required. The Rapp family rightfully entrusted Mr. Claus Hölper to take the lead to manage the development of the project.
The scale of this project required several changes to the local infrastructure of the property including restoration of several roads and extensive revitalization of previously farmed agricultural land. A substantial organic nursery was created on 10 hectares (24 acres) of the property. The nursery was planted with around 50,000 trees of different native species. About 10% of these trees were eventually transplanted to the rest of the property and the rest will remain for lumber in a few years.
The nearest town to El Ranchito is Cruz de Loreto, a small village well versed in farming and fishing the local land. Cruzeto began experimenting with different crops and embraced the skills of the local residents to help develop their agriculture business. Pineapples were determined to adapt well in this climate and environment. Cruzeto began harvesting and selling pineapples to supply hotels and restaurants in the nearby tourist destination of Puerto Vallarta. Later on as the production increased to 40 hectares (100 acres) the clients diversified and Rancho Cruzeto currently distributes to customers from Colima, Jalisco, and Baja California.
Beef master cattle and sheep are also maintained as part of the ranch business.
Cruzeto has developed its own ecological policies in the management of the cattle and pineapple and has taken pride in its awareness and sensitivity of the land and its development.
Agricultural engineers, cattle ranchers, lawyers, accountants, farmers, housewives and people from many different backgrounds have joined Cruzeto. Currently, 60 employees collaborate in this great project.
There is a collective feeling of pride derived from the shared sense of belonging and purpose among the team at Cruzeto. The company provides employees with economic opportunities, stability, and professional development. Cruzeto also provides a chance to contribute to environmental protection and preservation of the area.
Philosophy
From its inception Rancho Cruzeto has strived to establish an open dialog between all the stakeholders of this development. Partners, inhabitants of the community, ranchers, fishermen, developers, government, and technicians have all been part of the fabric of our company.
This choice is by design with the specific intention of respecting key factors we believe will bring long term success and sustainability to Rancho Cruzeto. These key factors are:
· Integration of Rancho Cruzeto to an existing community with customs and traditions that help to improve their lifestyle.
· Respect for the agricultural vocation of the community and continuing to promote the protection and improvement of the environmental resources.
· Protection of strategic zones to prevent destruction of the ecosystems and maintain biodiversity.
· Development of residential areas to guarantee security in our clients’ investment.
· Construction with minimal impact, efficient use of natural resources, and adherence to the local ecological and construction regulations.
· Development of tourism services to boost the economic growth of the company while continuing to develop revenue generated from farming.
Achievement of the above key factors will promote the improvement and recognition of our work with respect to:
· Environmental conditions of La Cruz de Loreto.
· Quality of our agricultural and farming products.
· Improvement of the social and economic conditions of the community of Cruz de Loreto
· The value of our clients’ investments with a one of a kind real estate development.
· Pioneering eco-tourism activities in the area.
Mission Statement
The creation of an ecological development focusing on 3 objectives:
1) The production and sale of high quality produce and livestock using best organic practices and with minimal environmental impact to provide healthy products to the market.
2) The construction and development of real estate with ecological, social, and economic sustainability to offer our clients a unique opportunity to live in a beautiful natural environment and simultaneously build a healthy lifestyle based on sustainability and cultural respect.
3) The development of tourism services which offer a fun and enriching experience through interaction with nature.
Vision
Rancho Cruzeto is working towards the following near future goals:
1) Consolidate yearly sales of at 900,000 tons of pineapple.
2) Establish a competitive price based on the recognition of the quality of our products and the acknowledgement of our sustainable agricultural practices from our customers.
3) Take steps to cover all of the Ranch’s maintenance costs through revenue generated by agricultural activities
Core values
Central: Pioneering
Expressive: Friendly, Open
Functional: Sustainability, Honesty