Son of one of the first importers of bananas from a family established in the French West Indies for several generations, Maxime de Reynal (63 years old) had always nourished the ambition of introducing the flavours and aromas of his native island, Martinique, to as many people as possible. He started off with this observation: most of the people from the French West Indies and the Reunion live on the French mainland, and this number is growing over the years. With a strong attachment to their roots, the 'domiens', as they are called in France, have long had difficulty in finding their preferred foods. Another factor further underscored the need to distribute island products: the development of mass tourism. Indeed, a growing number of people on the French mainland are choosing to visit places such as the West Indies in order to satisfy their search for exoticism and a change of scenery. They come back completely enchanted and want to prolong the experience by cooking Island-style dishes.

"When I started work, I sought to sell the produce from my own island, so as to introduce the products to the largest possible number of people. In 1989, I decided to take the plunge and create my own company MAXI SEC. On my own at first, I established myself at the Rungis MIN. We started out by importing the products that I knew best such as fruits and vegetables, root vegetables, chilies and peppers and drinks. Our range gradually grew in size, and is still expanding. Our by-word is authenticity, and this is why we decided to remain on this niche. MAXI SEC now counts a twenty-five strong workforce. Our employees are all well-established,, competent and highly motivated; they are trained by my sons who have since taken over the running of the business. Rungis is a strategic location, well organised and well equipped in logistics terms, that can receive customers in the best possible conditions. You can find every possible product at Rungis, from France, the isles and elsewhere… " For the quality of its produce and its dynamism, MAXI SEC was awarded a 'Nef d’or' in 1997.