The right nutrients, plenty of love and lots of patience—that’s what Nancy Wingham learned about planting pecan trees from her father. So, when Nancy and her husband Anthony started Nuez Acres—Canada’s only Indigenous-owned pecan oil producer—they brought that same teaching into their business and beauty products. With the help of Shannan Schimmelmann, Export Navigator’s Indigenous business advisor, Nuez Acres has set its sights set on expanding into the U.S., U.K. and Korea.
Nancy and Anthony Wingham have always dreamed of creating something simple that helps both the planet and people.
On a trip to Mexico, surrounded by 30 hectares of pecan trees at Nancy’s family farm in Chihuahua state, the couple decided to look within for inspiration.
“My father has always talked about how important it is to feed the trees the right nutrients and care for them with love and patience. I never really understood this until I was an adult and married with children,” says Nancy. “That was the moment when my husband Anthony and I decided to use pecans that had been grown with so much care and love to create products that will have a positive impact on people’s health and daily lives.”
That’s when Nuez Acres was born.
With digital shelves full of environmentally friendly creations that harness the power of pecan oil to nourish skin, strengthen hair and promote a healthy life, the Langley-based Nuez Acres is Canada’s only female-led, Indigenous-owned pecan oil producer.
Originally focused on selling at in-person markets and getting their products in stores across B.C., Nancy and Anthony decided to focus on e-commerce after a digitization workshop Anthony attended through the Métis community in the Lower Mainland.
“It’s going amazing. We’ve had huge growth, even though we weren’t planning on doing e-commerce only,” says Nancy. “A lot of our growth comes from us being available during those COVID times, too. As much as it hurt us planning for that market, that’s what helped us after COVID.”
With countless local markets, trade shows and two successful Pacific National Exhibitions (PNE) under their belt, Nancy and Anthony were ready to expand beyond the borders of B.C. But after an expensive and unsuccessful attempt to launch in New York, they knew they needed some help.
After completing the Trade Accelerator Program in Vancouver, Nuez Acres was introduced to Stó:lō Community Futures and Export Navigator Advisor Shannan Roberts.
“We’ve been accepted to trade shows in the U.S., but it comes with such a big price tag. Even the cost of attending the trade show as a company is upwards of $10,000 USD,” says Anthony. “We have everything ready that we need to export, our packaging, production and documentation. Export Navigator helps us find the right markets for our product and decide where we need to invest in our growth.”
That focus, Anthony says, has shifted to the west coast of the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and Korea.
“We’re committed to the sustainable use of water, both in Canada and in Mexico,” says Anthony. “Our main market is a waterless beauty market, and it’s all outside Canada and the U.S. But because the U.S. and Canada are so new to waterless beauty products, it’s really important for us to get in there now.”
In their short time working with Export Navigator, Nuez Acres has already started selling in Australia, with an average of five orders per month, and has become a registered brand on Amazon. Next year, Nancy and Anthony say, they will focus on accelerating their growth on Amazon.
“Not only are we in a better position, but we’re comfortable,” says Nancy. “With Shannan’s help, we’re able to fully understand our target markets.”
And it’s a position they wouldn’t be in without Export Navigator.
“When you’re leaving your backyard, you have to make sure every dollar spent is used well,” says Anthony. “From an Indigenous perspective, it’s been really great that it’s been an inviting, open and trusting process. Shannan is someone who you can trust with your business, your future.”
