Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Negron.
Hi Daniel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My uncle, Antonio Romero, and I founded Nero Trading Co. Coffee in 2021. The idea first came to us when we visited our family’s and friends’ coffee plantations high up in the mountains and volcanoes of El Salvador. In talking with the farmers, they told us about the hardships that they’ve faced in the coffee industry, everything from climate change to industrial farming competitors and even to getting taxed by the gangs, particularly the infamous MS-13 gang. After hearing their stories of hardship and talking to the many locals that rely heavily on steady work from these farms and mills, we became passionate about the idea of wanting to do something about it. That’s how we came up with the idea of creating Nero Trading Co. to DIRECTLY and ETHICALLY trade with small local farms in El Salvador to give them a more fair price for the exquisite coffees, which in turn helps them to re-invest in their farms and more importantly support the locals with jobs in these rural communities. Today, Nero Trading Co. buy these specialty coffees straight from the farm, coordinate with the mill to process the coffee beans and we use a 4th generation roaster in El Salvador, and import our roasted coffee beans to sell directly to the consumer. It’s been a challenging first year in developing our company, branding, marketing on social media, and getting our message out there about what makes us different; but it’s been so rewarding to know that we’re doing things the RIGHT way to help these coffee plantations and their workers.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road definitely has not been smooth, both metaphorically and literally. To get to these remote coffee plantations that are on the sides of volcanoes, to better have a good offroad vehicle (and driver) to avoid getting stuck in the mud. As for the company itself, this pandemic for one thing has presented additional obstacles on top of everything else that comes with developing a company and getting the word out there. Shipping costs throughout the pandemic have been absolutely insane and it really makes it difficult to be able to efficiently import our coffee beans without paying an unreal cost. But these are things that everyone is dealing with over these last few years, so we’ve just adjusted our expectations and goals a bit to focus on things we can control to continue building our company.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve lived here in Houston since 2013 as I moved down here after graduating from the University of Oklahoma to work in the energy industry. I am a land negotiator in my day job, where I collaborate with engineers and geologists to develop company assets around the United States. I’ve always had a passion in working with people in a collaborative environment so my career gives me exposure to that through contract negotiations and internally at my company with my coworkers. I am the first person in my family to work in the energy industry so I take great pride in that.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Even before we really got up and running, I reached out to a bunch of locals in the coffee industry and local roasters to listen to their stories and pick their brains. It has helped tremendously in our first year to have their mentorship and take heed of their advice on certain things that I previously had no clue about in the coffee business.
Pricing:
- 12oz bag of Marsellesa (everyday coffee) – $16
- 8oz bag of rare Geisha coffee (award-winning) – $25
Contact Info:
- Website: nerotradingco.com
- Instagram: @nerotradingco
- Facebook: @nerotradingco
