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Why Colombian Companies Are Doubling Down on Florida in 2025: Deals, Data, and the Playbook to Enter the U.S. Market

Author: Yoel Molina, Esq., Owner and Operator of the Law Office of Yoel Molina, P.A.​

21 November 2025

Why Colombian Companies Are Doubling Down on Florida in 2025: Deals, Data, and the Playbook to Enter the U.S. Market

 

Florida—especially Miami-Dade—is having a moment that smart Colombian founders and investors aren’t ignoring. Beyond anecdotes, we now have concrete signals: U.S. visa data showing stronger entrepreneur entries, headline expansions by Colombian brands in South Florida, real capital deployed into Florida facilities, and macro tailwinds—population growth, trade volumes, and a business-friendly tax environment—that make Florida the U.S. beachhead for Latin brands.
If you’re a Colombian entrepreneur or investor considering the U.S., this is the window to move. Here’s the evidence—and a practical entry blueprint.
 

What’s changed—and why now

 

1) Entrepreneurs are getting in the door. The U.S. State Department’s FY2024 statistics show Colombian nationals received 623 E-2 (Treaty Investor) visas, plus 137 E-1 (Treaty Trader) visas. That’s not punditry; that’s hard issuance data confirming real investor movement into the U.S. market.
 
2) Miami-Dade’s real economy is expanding—and faster than the nation. Miami-Dade County’s GDP grew 3.5% in 2023 (Florida overall 4.27%) versus 2.89% nationally, per the Beacon Council’s report citing BEA figures. That growth continues to be led by trade & logistics and supported by record capital investment in FY2023–2024. ( Miami-Dade Beacon Council)
 
3) Florida’s trade engine keeps pulling. Florida ranked 6th among U.S. states in goods exports in 2024, totaling $72.2 billion. Exports remain a jobs engine and a magnet for trade-facing firms, particularly in Miami where ports/air cargo connect seamlessly to Latin America. Florida continues to invest nearly half a billion dollars in seaport and aviation infrastructure in FY2024–2025—capacity that benefits importers, distributors, and exporters landing here. ( United States Trade Representative)
 
4) Population growth = customer growth. The Census Bureau’s latest estimates show the U.S. experienced its fastest population growth since 2001, driven primarily by net international migration. Florida is one of the biggest recipients of that influx, and South Florida in particular continues to gain residents—fuel for retail, F&B, healthcare, housing, and services. ( Census.gov)
 
Bottom line: more entrepreneurs entering, more customers arriving, more trade capacity online, and a state with no personal income tax and a pro-business posture. That’s the stack that makes Florida the launchpad for Colombian brands.
 

Not just coffee: visible Colombian market moves in Florida

 

It’s fair to say Juan Valdez has become a flagship indicator of Colombian brand power in the U.S. But it’s not a solo act. We’re now seeing a multi-sector pattern—from consumer brands to industrials and life sciences—putting down roots or scaling in South Florida.
Food & Beverage / Hospitality
 
  • Andrés Carne de Res (Colombia’s famed hospitality brand) announced its first U.S. outpost on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach—classic signal that high-recognition Latin brands see Miami as the U.S. entry point for experiential dining. ( investor.procapsgroup.com)
 
Industrial / Building Products
  • Tecnoglass (NYSE: TGLS)—Barranquilla’s architectural glass and window giant— relocated its global headquarters to Miami and is building out a new Miami HQ site. U.S. demand already accounts for the overwhelming majority of its revenue, so putting executive, sales, and distribution capacity in Miami is straight economics. ( Tecnoglass)
 
Life Sciences / Pharma
  • Procaps Group (NASDAQ: PROC) acquired and integrated a soft-gel manufacturing facility in West Palm Beach, expanding U.S. production and R&D presence in Florida’s life sciences corridor. That’s Colombian capital deployed in-state to manufacture closer to U.S. patients and payors. ( Eater Miami)
 
Consumer Packaged Goods & Marketing
  • Colombina’s Bon Bon Bum launched its first U.S. marketing campaign in Miami, partnering with Miami FC—evidence of brand dollars shifting to South Florida to reach multicultural consumers and retail buyers. ( Colombina)
 
These aren’t one-off curiosities. They are commercially rational moves: Florida is the densest U.S. concentration of Spanish-first consumers, a logistics hub with daily sailings and flights to Colombia, and an investor/real-estate market comfortable underwriting Latin American growth stories.
 

The economics supporting the move

 

Trade connectivity. Florida’s ports and airports—PortMiami, Port Everglades, Miami International Airport—handle outsized volumes of Latin America trade. The state’s own trade brief highlights hundreds of millions in FY2024–2025 infrastructure spend to keep these arteries competitive, lowering friction for importers and exporters building U.S. distribution hubs here. ( SelectFlorida)
Export scale and jobs. At $72.2B in 2024 exports, Florida ranks #6, with export-supported jobs concentrated in metro Miami and the I-95/I-75 logistics spine. For Colombian firms, that means easy access to 3PLs, FTZs, customs brokers, and bilingual workforce already versed in hemispheric trade. ( United States Trade Representative)
 
U.S.–Colombia trade bedrock. U.S. goods & services trade with Colombia reached $53.6B in 2024, with the U.S. running a $3.26B surplus. Agricultural exports to Colombia hit record highs in 2024 and the bilateral flow keeps deepening—benefiting Colombian firms that can place U.S. production, brand, or distribution assets near the action. ( USAFacts)
 
Population & demand. South Florida keeps attracting residents and tourists, sustaining above-trend demand for hospitality, retail, wellness, construction, and professional services. The Census notes that international migration is the key driver of recent U.S. growth; Miami sees an outsized share of those newcomers, reinforcing bilingual, cross-border consumption patterns that favor Colombian concepts. ( Census.gov)
Capital formation & incentives. Miami-Dade’s economic development arm reports record capital investment secured in FY2023–2024, with trade & logistics the largest contributor—another proof point that both public and private capital are still betting on the region’s growth. ( Miami-Dade Beacon Council)
 
Visa pathway momentum. E-1/E-2 issuance to Colombians in FY2024 (760 combined) validates that U.S. immigration pathways for entrepreneurs and traders are active and being used, smoothing leadership relocation and active management of U.S. subsidiaries, franchises, or joint ventures.
 

Where Colombian entrepreneurs are winning first

 

1) Food & beverage and experiential retail. Cafés, bakeries, dessert concepts, and high-energy dining translate well in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Orlando. High tourist footfall + diaspora familiarity = faster breakeven potential. Juan Valdez is the archetype; Andrés shows that premium experiential dining can travel too. ( investor.procapsgroup.com)
 
2) Building products & construction tech. Florida’s ongoing housing and retrofit cycles keep demand high for windows, doors, façade systems, and climate-resilient materials—exactly the lane where Tecnoglass thrives. Regional distribution and service in Miami-Dade or Broward makes operational sense. ( Tecnoglass)
 
3) Health, beauty, and life sciences. From nutraceuticals to soft-gels to specialty pharma, Florida’s payer/provider market is large and diverse, and procurement cycles reward local manufacturing and FDA-compliant operations. Procaps’ West Palm Beach footprint illustrates this thesis. ( Eater Miami)
 
4) CPG with Latin identity. Brands like Bon Bon Bum investing in Miami media and partnerships are using the region as a megaphone to reach national buyers (Publix, Walmart, club channels) and test U.S. creatives. ( Colombina)
 

How to enter Florida the right way (and avoid expensive detours)

 

If you’re eyeing the U.S. now, don’t improvise. Here’s the compact legal playbook we deploy for Colombian clients:
 
  • Entity & tax posture. Choose the right vehicle (typically a Florida LLC or C-Corp). Coordinate with Colombian tax advisors to avoid double taxation and manage withholding on intercompany royalties/dividends. Mind Florida sales & use tax and local surtaxes.
 
  • Immigration aligned to business reality. For owner-operators and key managers, E-2 (investor) or E-1 (trader) can work when the treaty and ownership structure fit; L-1 is the right tool for intracompany transferees from mature Colombian parents. Data shows Colombians are getting these visas issued—use the momentum.
 
  • Market entry structure. Pick a channel: company-owned, franchise, master franchise, distributor, or JV. Each has different control, IP, and liability footprints. For hospitality/F&B, be surgical with site selection, assignment clauses, CAM pass-throughs, and build-out timelines—South Florida rents carry teeth.
 
  • Regulatory & licensing. For food producers, align FDA, FSVP, labeling, and facility registration early. For life sciences: cGMP, device listing, or drug establishment registration where applicable. For construction materials: meet Florida Building Code and any HVHZ (hurricane zone) testing and approvals.
 
  • Trademarks and brand protection. File U.S. federal trademarks early—before your distributor does. We routinely handle trademark clearance, filing, and enforcement for Latin brands entering Florida and national retail.
 
  • People & compliance. Even small teams need I-9, wage-and-hour compliance, and clean independent contractor frameworks. South Florida is active on enforcement and plaintiff’s bar knows the traps—structure correctly from day one.
 

Investor take: why Colombian capital should back this wave

 

  • Visibility of exits and public comps. Publicly listed names like Tecnoglass give U.S. investors a clean comp set for Latin industrial brands with U.S. revenue concentration. The HQ shift to Miami only increases analyst coverage and deal visibility. ( Tecnoglass)
 
  • Policy and infrastructure tailwinds. Florida continues to pour money into ports and airports, keeping logistics friction low. That’s a durable advantage for import-to-wholesale models. ( SelectFlorida)
 
  • Demographic gravity. Ongoing migration and tourism intensify demand for exactly the products and experiences Colombian brands do well (coffee, bakery, sweets, fashion-forward retail, hospitality). ( Census.gov)
 
  • Trade bedrock. U.S.–Colombia trade remains thick and diversified; agricultural trade set records in 2024, and overall bilateral trade exceeded $50B. Investors should expect continued runway for category expansion and cross-border supply chains. ( USDA APHIS)
 

The takeaway

 

This isn’t speculative. We have visa issuance, hard investments, facility acquisitions, new flagship openings, and macro growth all pointing in the same direction. Florida—and Miami-Dade in particular—remains the most logical U.S. launchpad for Colombian entrepreneurship. If you’ve been waiting for “proof,” you have it.
 

 

Need a Florida entry plan you can execute?

For legal help structuring your U.S. entry—entity formation, visas (E-1/E-2/L-1), trademarks, franchising or distribution agreements, commercial leasing, and regulatory compliance—contact Attorney Yoel Molina at admin@molawoffice.com, call (305) 548-5020 (Option 1), or message via WhatsApp at (305) 349-3637.
 
Key sources cited: U.S. State Department FY2024 NIV Detail Table (E-1/E-2 visas); Miami-Dade Beacon Council on GDP growth and investment; USTR Florida exports; SelectFlorida on FY2024–2025 logistics infrastructure; USDA/USDA FAS and USAFacts on U.S.–Colombia trade; Eater Miami on Andrés Carne de Res; Tecnoglass and The Real Deal on Miami HQ; Procaps on West Palm Beach facility; Colombina/Bon Bon Bum on Miami campaign.