Originally, back in the 1930s, Louis and François Mouneyrac ran a small farm in Gaud (Corrèze). The founder of the business had to "go up" to the capital to earn his living. Hired at the Halles de Paris, he sold his fresh farm produce there: walnuts, chestnuts, green peas, etc. In the 1960s, the second generation, René Mouneyrac (father of Thierry and Serge) and Jean Mouneyrac (their uncle) created the company Mouneyrac Frères which was established at Rungis in 1969. René and Jean Mouneyrac sold walnuts, chestnuts and apples from Perigord-Limousin. Thierry Mouneyrac (44 years old), who joined the company as goods handler after obtaining a BTS (advanced vocational training certificate) in management and accounting, took over the running of the company in 1993 following the retirement of his father and uncle. Serge (40 years old), holder of a BTS in arboriculture, joined the company in 1995 as sales director.
"Our company's excellent reputation meant we were able to support our development, with the aim of refocusing on our core business area: apples (2/3) and pears (1/3), our flagship products and the bulk of our volumes, not forgetting Perigord Perlim AOC walnuts. We wanted to stand out through the quality and specificity of our products. This is why our suppliers have become our partners, sending us the best of their produce which we then sell under our own brand names, Mouneyrac, Reine des Jardins, Vergers des terrasses as well as under the national Perlim brand for the famous high-altitude golden delicious, the Limousin department's flagship AOC apple. Apples make up the bulk of our business and are sold retail. Pears are a more recent addition in lesser volumes;
these include particularly tasty regional heritage and local varieties: Patte de loup, Reine d’Armorique, Fenouillet gris, Calville du Roi, Court-Pendu, Karminj and Saint-Mathieu, to name but a few. For these brands, we are partners with bodies such as the Verger Conservatoire de Pétré, the Centre Régional d’Aquitaine, the Centre Génétique du Nord-Pas de Calais and the Centre Agronomique de Gembloux, among others. Our third product line, walnuts, is sold at major retail outlets. Our customer base comprises retailers (75%), wholesalers (20%) and major retail outlets (5%). Overall, we sell 7,000 metric tons of fruit per year, with 80 to 100 daily product references, and an annual 10% growth rate. The outstanding quality and diversity of the products at Rungis has been successfully showcased by Semmaris promotional campaigns. In this key location, Rungis Market stands for quality and regional produce…"
