What Grupo Numar does

Grupo Agroindustrial Numar S.A. (Grupo Numar) is a privately held Costa Rican agroindustrial conglomerate producing and marketing proprietary brands in vegetable oils, margarines, shortenings, and coffee across five Central American and Latin American countries (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, and Mexico). The group operates a vertically integrated palm oil value chain that begins with oil palm seed development through ASD Costa Rica (now Compact Seeds & Clones, recognized as a world leader in palm oil seeds), continues through plantation operations at Palma Tica, palm oil extraction at Agrialim and Compañía Industrial Aceitera Coto 54 (with 100 Ton-RFF/H capacity), soybean oil processing at Inolasa, and downstream refining, fractionation, and specialty fat production.

The business is structured across three core commercial segments: Consumer Retail (50+ proprietary brands including Numar margarine with 65+ years of presence in 95% of Costa Rican households, Clover, Corona, Café 1820, and licensed brands such as Tena and Maruchan); Food Service / Horeca (direct supply of oils, fats, coffee, cleaning products, and packaging materials to hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, and corporate offices); and Industrial B2B (specialty fats and shortenings for bakery, confectionery, ice cream, snacks, and animal nutrition customers under brands such as Baker, Super Start, Maxpan, and GANALAC). Distribution combines retail supermarket placement, food service direct sales, industrial B2B sales, and a dedicated food service e-commerce portal.

The group monetizes via sale of branded consumer packaged goods, specialty industrial fats, and palm oil commodity exports, with production anchored in certified facilities (RSPO Supply Chain Certification since 2016, FSSC 22000 food safety across multiple units, Carbon Neutral certification for Café 1820, Numar, and Palma Tica, plus Kosher). Revenue model and pricing are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Grupo Numar

Legal name

Grupo Agroindustrial Numar S.A.

Website

https://gruponumar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Grupo Numar is a privately held Costa Rican agroindustrial conglomerate producing and marketing proprietary consumer and industrial brands in vegetable oils, margarines, shortenings, and coffee across Central America, Colombia, and Mexico through a vertically integrated palm oil supply chain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Edible Oils and Fats Manufacturing

NAICS

Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Palm Oil Milling, Refining & Fractionation (AFAKAEAB)

Keywords

• Vegetable oil production
• Margarine manufacturing
• Palm oil processing
• Coffee roasting
• Industrial fats

Headquarters

HQ city

San José

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consumer Brand Sales: Production and sale of proprietary consumer brands including margarines, shortenings, vegetable oils, and coffee through retail distribution
2. Food Service: B2B supply of oils, fats, coffee, cleaning products, and wrapping materials to hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, and offices
3. Industrial Brands: Sale of industrial-grade fats and oils for bakery, confectionery, ice cream, snacks, and animal nutrition industries

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Grupo Numar is a vertically integrated agroindustrial conglomerate that produces and markets proprietary brands of shortenings, margarines, vegetable oils (palm, soybean, sunflower), and roasted coffee, supplying consumer retail, food service (HoReCa), and industrial B2B customers across Central America, Colombia, and Mexico. The group operates the full palm oil value chain — palm plantations (Palma Tica), extraction plants (Agrialim, Coto 54, Naranjo, Agrosa), seed development (ASD / Compact Seeds & Clones), and refining (Inolasa) — and distributes through retail, direct food service, and industrial channels under 50+ brands including Numar, Café 1820, Clover, Corona, Baker, Dorofrit, Pabo, and Aceites Cocinero.

Product overview

Grupo Agroindustrial Numar S.A. is an agroindustrial conglomerate producing and marketing proprietary brands in the categories of shortenings, margarines, vegetable oils, and coffee, with operations across Central America, Colombia, and Mexico. The portfolio includes commercial brands (Cloralex, Flo-Fit, Link, Saba, Naturally, Ensueño, Corona, Dorofrit, Maruchan, Pinol, Café 1820, Yo Soy, Tena, Pabo, and others), industrial brands (Baker, Super Start, Maxpan, Maker Industrial, Dorofrit Industrial, Ganalac, Coquito, Cremy, and others), and core products (Numar and Clover margarines and oils). The company also operates Food Service divisions serving hotels, restaurants, offices, and cafeterias with products including oils, fats, coffee, cleaning products, and wrapping materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Numar: Margarina leading brand with over 65 years presence in 95% of Costa Rican households; offers margarine in barra and vasija presentations including Numar Clásica, Sabor Premium, Suave, Numar Light, and Numar Ajo Perejil varieties
• Cloralex
• Clover
• Corona
• Dorofrit
• Café 1820
• Brumas
• Pabo
• Baker
• Goodliving
• Cascade
• Pinol
• Nevax
• Link
• Campestre
• Naturally
• Saba
• Tena
• Maruchan
• Aceite Cocinero
• Special
• Ensueno
• Doña Reyna
• Los Patitos
• La Riquísima
• Class
• Ambar
• Rina
• Cecibón
• Carey
• Carey Natural
• Ricrem
• Yo Soy
• Crisol
• Flo-Fit
• Maxpan
• Cremy
• Super Start
• Maker Industrial
• GANALAC
• Coquito
• LYMPAC

Products and services

• Numar Margarine

Quantifiable outcome

• Numar brand in top 8 favorite brands in Costa Rica (Kantar 2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Palma TicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalm oil producer originating from United Fruit Company's palm operations in the 1930s. Manages sustainable plantations in Quepos, Parrita, Coto, and Limón. Certified under RSPO Principles & Criteria, Carbon Neutral, and participates in Programa Bandera Azul. Generates approximately 2,000 direct jobs and is part of Grupo Numar's audited supply chain.
• Latin America Agrialim S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalm oil extraction complex located in Zona Franca de Palo Seco, Parrita, Costa Rica. Processes fresh fruit bunches from Palma Tica and certified external producers. Produces RBD palm oil, fatty acid, olein, stearin, and Oleopro. Certified under RSPO Principles & Criteria, Kosher, and FSSC 22000.
• Compañía Industrial Aceitera Coto 54coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalm oil extraction company with plants in Corredores (100 Ton-RFF/H capacity) and Naranjo. Certified under RSPO Principles & Criteria, Kosher, Halal, and FSSC 22000. Receives fresh fruit bunches from Palma Tica and certified external producers.
• InolasacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading vegetable oil producer and soybean lecithin company in Costa Rica. Located in Barranca, Puntarenas. Recognized by American Soybean Association as one of Latin America's most efficient soybean processing plants. Certified under FSSC22000, Kosher, Carbon Neutral, and RSPO Supply Chain. Generates over 600 direct jobs.
• GIA - Grupo Industrial de Alimentos (Agrosa, Harinisa, Indegrasa)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial consortium producing consumer goods for Nicaraguan and Central American markets. Agrosa processes palm oil in León, Nicaragua. Harinisa processes wheat for flour. Indegrasa produces laundry soaps. All certified under FSSC 22000.
• ASD Costa Rica S.A. / Compact Seeds & ClonescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany specialized in developing high-productivity palm oil seed varieties and clones since the 1980s. Now operating as Compact Seeds & Clones, offering international market varieties with special characteristics for different environments and planting densities. Recognized as world leader in palm oil seeds.
• CukraminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner mentioned in PQRS system as part of Grupo Numar's stakeholder network.
• PalmoSurminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner in Mexico mentioned in PQRS system as part of Grupo Numar's stakeholder network.
• Industrias Panamá BostonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturing and commercialization company founded in 1957 in Panama. Specializes in consumer goods including margarines, oils, personal care products, and international brand representation. Focus on quality, innovation, and sustainability.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IOI Corporation: Malaysian integrated palm oil player spanning plantations, milling, refining, and oleochemicals. Closely comparable to Grupo Numar's palm oil value chain and to its downstream refining of palm olein, stearin and specialty fats.
• Sime Darby Plantation: One of the world's largest palm oil producers with integrated upstream plantations and downstream operations. Directly comparable to Grupo Numar's vertically integrated palm oil chain (Palma Tica + Agrialim + Coto 54) and to ASD's seed business, though operating at a far larger global scale.
• AAK (AarhusKarlshamn): Specialty oils and fats supplier focused on bakery, dairy, confectionery, ice cream and infant nutrition. Directly comparable to Grupo Numar's industrial brand portfolio (Baker, Maxpan, Dorofrit Industrial, Maker Industrial, Cremy) serving the same end markets with specialty fat formulations.
• Upfield: Global leader in plant-based spreads and margarines (Flora, Becel, Country Crock, Rama). Directly comparable to Grupo Numar's Numar, Clover, Cascade and Goodliving margarine/spread brands in terms of product category, retail positioning, and sustainability messaging.
• Musim Mas: Vertically integrated palm oil company from plantations through refining to specialty fats and biodiesel. Comparable to Grupo Numar's seed-to-shelf model and to its RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil positioning for industrial customers.

Regional players

• Grupo Nutresa: Colombian diversified food company with leading brands in chocolates, cookies, ice cream, coffee and packaged foods across Latin America. Comparable to Grupo Numar's multi-category CPG model, branded coffee (Café 1820 vs. Nutresa's coffee businesses), and Latin American multi-country distribution footprint.
• FIFCO (Florida Ice and Farm Company): Costa Rican CPG conglomerate spanning beverages, foods, and hospitality. Comparable as a fellow Costa Rican-based diversified consumer-products platform competing for the same retail shelf space and consumer wallet in Grupo Numar's home market.

Broad incumbents

• Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): Global nutrition and agricultural origination company with oilseed processing and specialty ingredients. Comparable to Grupo Numar's specialty fats and animal nutrition (GANALAC, Coquito) and to Inolasa's recognized efficiency in soybean processing recognized by the American Soybean Association.
• Bunge: Global oilseed processor and supplier of edible oils and fats with strong Latin American footprint. Comparable to Grupo Numar's Inolasa soybean processing, vegetable oil refining (Clover, Crisol, Yo Soy, Pabo, Aceite Cocinero) and B2B ingredients distribution in the region.
• Cargill: Global agribusiness giant with palm oil, grain and oilseed operations, food ingredients, and animal nutrition. Broadly comparable to Grupo Numar's integrated food-ingredient platform, particularly the Inolasa soybean processing, palm trading and GANALAC-style animal nutrition products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grupo Numar