Unicomer Group
Encyclopedia
Regal Forest Holding Co. Ltd., operating as Unicomer Group , is a Central American furniture and appliance chain with headquarters in El Salvador
. The Unicomer Group operates over 430 stores in Central America
, the Caribbean
, and the United States
and employs 9,000. As of 2010 Mario Siman is the president of the company. The company has its headquarters in the Edificio La Curacao in San Salvador
, while its United States offices are in unincorporated
Miami-Dade County
, Florida
.
In 2008, Unicomer Group opened its 94th store, Courts Caribbean in Brooklyn.
Courts Caribbean was founded in 1850, with only one store in England. The company was established in the region since 1959, and is the Caribbean’s largest furniture, appliance and electrical retailer. The company has stores across the Caribbean islands: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, and Trinidad"
Unicomer Group has acquired chains include Courts (Caribbean), La Curacao (Central America and the Dominican Republic
), Servitotal, Almacenes Tropigas (Central America), Unicomer USA (United States), Almacén Loco Luis, Lucky Dollar (Caribbean), and Radio Shack
franchises in Central America. As of 2010 Unicomer USA has three United States locations, including two in Houston and one in New York city]]. Unicomer entered the U.S. market because of the increasing Hispanic American
population.
, donated student desks, school supplies and food containers for rural schools in Central America
, provided college scholarships, sponsor students from elementary schools located in rural areas. In Barbados, Unicomer Group, through its chain Courts Caribbean strongly supports education, mainly through elementary school's spelling contests. To this date, it still remains the main promoter of the National Spelling Contest. In St. Vincent, Courts is the main sponsor of all the elementary schools of the country.
In sports La Curacao of Central America is firmly committed to contributing to the development of physical and mental health of the children in public schools through sports. Unicomer Group, through its chain La Curacao,supports Educating a Salvadoran Foundation FESA
. Additionally, La Curacao Honduras became the official sponsor of the national gymnastics team by providing the team members with sports inputs and uniforms. Courts sponsored the renewal of the football residency in Jamaica three years in a row and also, the 2007 Special Olympic Games held in China. Another sport that the Courts chain supports in Jamaica is basketball, through the awards for the Junior Division basketball tournament. Likewise, Courts sponsored the sports programs of the St. Vincent Technical School. And, in Trinidad Courts sponsored the local professional football league.
During the summer, La Curacao of El Salvador provides support to the Salvadoran Red Cross by donating kits for relief workers that volunteer their time and effort throughout the country. The Red Cross of Nicaragua also benefits from the unconditional support of the La Curacao, holding a Bingo every year to raise funds for this humanitarian organization.
La Curacao also unconditionally supports the Salvadoran Telethon, by sponsoring the “Boteo program” providing t-shirts and equipment to volunteers every year.
In Trinidad, Courts sponsored the construction of a school for handicapped children and also gave a donation to a nationwide foundation for the homeless, to enrich and improve the lives of these persons.
In Guyana, Courts sponsored a Habitat for Humanity housing project for underprivileged families. The chain also works hand in hand with the local food program for most vulnerable children.
In Belize the company donated mattresses to victims of Hurricane Dean in 2007. It also supports the Red Cross and the Salvation Army in their efforts to provide relief to victims of natural disasters.
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
. The Unicomer Group operates over 430 stores in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and employs 9,000. As of 2010 Mario Siman is the president of the company. The company has its headquarters in the Edificio La Curacao in San Salvador
San Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
, while its United States offices are in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
History
The Unicomer Group was founded in the year 2000, when it acquired the operations of the Dutch group CETECO. Among the several appliance and furniture chains that comprise the group are: La Curacao in Central America and the Dominican Republic; Almacenes Tropigas in Central America, the Radio Shack franchise in Central America, Prisma Hogar in El Salvador, Unicomer in the United States, Courts and Lucky Dollar in the Caribbean.In 2008, Unicomer Group opened its 94th store, Courts Caribbean in Brooklyn.
Courts Caribbean was founded in 1850, with only one store in England. The company was established in the region since 1959, and is the Caribbean’s largest furniture, appliance and electrical retailer. The company has stores across the Caribbean islands: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, and Trinidad"
Unicomer Group has acquired chains include Courts (Caribbean), La Curacao (Central America and the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
), Servitotal, Almacenes Tropigas (Central America), Unicomer USA (United States), Almacén Loco Luis, Lucky Dollar (Caribbean), and Radio Shack
Radio shack
Radio shack is a slang term for a room or structure for housing radio equipment.-History:In the early days of radio, equipment was experimental and home-built. The first radio transmitters used a noisy spark to generate radio waves and were often housed in a garage or shed. When radio was first...
franchises in Central America. As of 2010 Unicomer USA has three United States locations, including two in Houston and one in New York city]]. Unicomer entered the U.S. market because of the increasing Hispanic American
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
population.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Unicomer Group, through its different commercial chains, has partnered with the Ministry of Education of [[El Salvador]] to provide computers to students with highest grades in the city of San SalvadorSan Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
, donated student desks, school supplies and food containers for rural schools in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, provided college scholarships, sponsor students from elementary schools located in rural areas. In Barbados, Unicomer Group, through its chain Courts Caribbean strongly supports education, mainly through elementary school's spelling contests. To this date, it still remains the main promoter of the National Spelling Contest. In St. Vincent, Courts is the main sponsor of all the elementary schools of the country.
In sports La Curacao of Central America is firmly committed to contributing to the development of physical and mental health of the children in public schools through sports. Unicomer Group, through its chain La Curacao,supports Educating a Salvadoran Foundation FESA
Fesa
Fesa tricolor is a species of harvestmen in a monotypic genus in the family Sclerosomatidae....
. Additionally, La Curacao Honduras became the official sponsor of the national gymnastics team by providing the team members with sports inputs and uniforms. Courts sponsored the renewal of the football residency in Jamaica three years in a row and also, the 2007 Special Olympic Games held in China. Another sport that the Courts chain supports in Jamaica is basketball, through the awards for the Junior Division basketball tournament. Likewise, Courts sponsored the sports programs of the St. Vincent Technical School. And, in Trinidad Courts sponsored the local professional football league.
Support to Humanitarian Institutions
Central AmericaDuring the summer, La Curacao of El Salvador provides support to the Salvadoran Red Cross by donating kits for relief workers that volunteer their time and effort throughout the country. The Red Cross of Nicaragua also benefits from the unconditional support of the La Curacao, holding a Bingo every year to raise funds for this humanitarian organization.
La Curacao also unconditionally supports the Salvadoran Telethon, by sponsoring the “Boteo program” providing t-shirts and equipment to volunteers every year.
In Trinidad, Courts sponsored the construction of a school for handicapped children and also gave a donation to a nationwide foundation for the homeless, to enrich and improve the lives of these persons.
In Guyana, Courts sponsored a Habitat for Humanity housing project for underprivileged families. The chain also works hand in hand with the local food program for most vulnerable children.
In Belize the company donated mattresses to victims of Hurricane Dean in 2007. It also supports the Red Cross and the Salvation Army in their efforts to provide relief to victims of natural disasters.
External links
- Unicomer Group /
- Unicomer USA (Archive)