About Us

The foundation of Margie's Brands, Inc. started in 1987. The founder, Wilbur S. Reneau came home one day from his sales job working for Xerox and called his parents and asked them if there was something unique or different he could import to the United States from his native Belize. He was thinking along the lines of the German immigrants with their beer processing or the Italians with their wine making or any of the other multitude of products and food specialty items that originated in other countries. 

His father's response was that he could import cashew wine from Belize to the U.S. Most Americans are unaware that the cashew grows on trees and it is a fruit and a nut. The fruit grows on top of the nut. Once ripe, the fruit is separated from the cashew nut to make wine. 

Reneau decided to travel to Belize in order to explore the possibility of importing cashew wine. While in Belize, he discovered that cashew wine was only being made in homes by individuals. There was no mass production of wine. 

While dining at a Belize hotel, he was given a slice of toast and mixed fruit jam with his breakfast. He immediately asked the waitress where the jam was manufactured. She replied that it was made in Belize. Reneau contacted the manufacture and asked if they would be interested in exporting their jams to the United States. They expressed that they had been trying to export their jams to the U.S. for years but had no luck.

Reneau flew back to the U.S. and explored the jam and jelly market and discovered that there were no mango, guava, banana or papaya jams or jellies on the market. He formed a company called Reneau Imports, Inc. and began importing jams from Belize. He distributed the jams to upscale department stores like Marshall Fields and other gourmet stores throughout the country. 

Reneau Imports, Inc. lasted approximately eight years before going out of business. This was Reneau's first venture as an entrepreneur. He licked his wounds and went back to work in corporate America. 

In 2000, Wilbur Reneau decided to try his hand at the jam and jelly business again and started Margie's Brands, Inc. This time, he decided to manufacture the products in the U.S. and produce a line of 100%, all natural no sugar added fruit spreads. The rest is history.