Costa Rica - Hacienda la Esperanza

`Executive Summary`
Sinds 1995 zijn wij actief in Costa Rica, het `Zwitserland van Latijns Amerika`. Een oase van rust en ruimte. Anno 2004 verwerft Forest Returns een meerderheidsbelang in La Compañia la Esperanza Internacional de Heredia S.A. Toen 394 hectaren, anno nu 1.114 hectaren en 100 % eigendom van Vereenigde Costaricaanse Compagnie bv. Daarvan is per 01-09-2009 29 & in handen van Forest Returns bv. Het vlaggenschip van de vloot. Zeilt u ook eens > Hacienda Esperanza.

Speerpunten Hacienda la Esperanza; behoudbare:

• bosbouw (voor regionale timmerindustrie)
• gastvrijheid (toerisme), `spa & wellness`
• vis- & schaaldierenvangst & -teelt
• veeteelt (paarden, koeien, varkens, kippen, bijen)
  
• akkerbouw (groenten, fruit, medicinale planten)
• energie (`hydro power` dankzij watervallen) + vastlegging CO2
• educatie; MICE (`Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Events`)

`History & Preview`
"The Dutchman Charles van Zijll de Jong had a dream, inspired by the movie ‘Boys Town’. He tried to realize his dream in Holland but that did not work out very well. Charles decided to return to the tropics and chose at the age of 80 years... Costa Rica. He bought two haciendas and brought them together to fulfill his ultimate dreams. After joining the two haciendas - in all approximately 1.000 acres - he started planting trees and breeding cattle, especially Brahma cows and Arabian horses. Unfortunately Charles became very ill and almost blind and died at the age of 86 years. His son Peter van Zijll de Jong inherited the 400 hectares property and sold it in 2003. The new owner Ton Hoegee decided in 2004 to share the hacienda with his associate Cor Denneman. Both have together worked for years, mainly in Brazil, buying and protecting - together with other serious Dutch investors - an endangered area of more than 450,000 acres in Amazonas, Brazil. They even met the President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) to discuss this serious threat in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas, Brazil`s largest province, which is as big as Europe. In close harmony Cor took over the presidency of Hacienda la Esperanza Int. de Heredia S.A. through his company Forest Returns in March 2005. Forest Returns sold the majority of the shares to 8 other investors and kept 35 % in that period. With a little help of his friends Cor paid off the mortgage and cleared the debts. Independently he had the same vision as Charles van Zijll de Jong and took care of ‘the inheritance’. Based on his cosmopolitan experiences Cor will make the mutual dreams come true. Con corazon’ Cor believes in true stewardship, in Dutch: ‘oprecht rentmeesterschap’. The main objective is to launch a sustainable reforestation process in Peninsula de Nicoya. Based on his marketing back ground as well, ‘Don Cornelio’ strongly believes in the integration of several sustainable elements like forestry, hospitality, agro and aqua culture, cattle breeding, energy and sports and is eager to share the valuable property with other highly motivated people… For that reason new investment opportunities have been created as well ..."