From Enrique’s Route to building a company in the U.S. with a catalog of nine series and a podcast

Enrique Márquez had a dream over 11 years ago: to travel with his backpack and film his journeys to share stories with his nephews. This dream led to Enrique’s Route (La Ruta de Enrique). Since then, Márquez created LRE Holding LLC in the U.S. and is preparing a catalog of eight TV series and a podcast focused on travel, food, religion, reality shows, and competitions aimed at U.S. and Latin American audiences.

Of the eight planned series, four will be available in 2024: Heroes’ Route (a docuseries about those who sacrifice or fight for American history and pride); Enrique’s Route Kids (an animated version for children); Farmer Families (a reality competition where farming families compete to become suppliers for a healthy food franchise); and the original show, Enrique’s Route.

For 2025, they plan Enrique’s Food Route (featuring top food spots in the U.S.), God, Miracles, and Mysteries (exploring religious heritage in the U.S.), Gospel Reality (a competition for the best gospel groups), and Enrique’s Home Design (a partnership with LRE Franchise Realty Group to renovate and sell homes). There’s also the Routes and Coffee podcast, where Márquez shares stories from his travels.

11 YEARS TRAVELING THE WORLD

Enrique’s Route has been on air for 11 years, beginning in Chile, Márquez’s home country, and expanding to 65 countries. “It’s been very successful, especially in the U.S., which led us to grow and set up LRE Holding LLC there, using the initials of Enrique’s Route as a tribute,” Márquez explained.

The show has aired on open TV and cable channels in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Spain. The goal now is to stream the shows, hence a more diverse content strategy. Channels that have aired Enrique’s Route include LATV Networks (U.S.), Multivision Federal (Argentina), Canal 13 (Costa Rica), and Telerama (Ecuador).

As the founder, executive president, and CEO of LRE Holding LLC, Márquez has built a group of companies in the U.S. that includes audiovisual production, legal and accounting services, real estate, business development, retail, marketing, restaurants, travel, and a foundation.

“It all started when I recorded my vacation trips, and my nephews loved it. I took a backpack and set off, not knowing where life would take me. I just wanted to share my views and values, and this eventually became a company. That’s how Enrique’s Route began, by showcasing unique places and my reflections,” Márquez shared with PRODU, adding that he aims to be an ambassador for Latino culture.

He was surprised by the response from the U.S. market: “We grew so much thereby airing on LATV Network, reaching 49 states and becoming one of the most-watched shows on the channel.”

FROM HEROES TO FARMERS

In Heroes’ Route, each season will have 12 half-hour episodes covering one to three stories of people per episode. They aim to explore four to five states per year. “We’ve met some remarkable people who are true heroes, and we want to showcase them from a Latino perspective,” Márquez explained, mentioning veterans, firefighters, Navy officers, and doctors, whose stories cover both professional and personal challenges.

The series on farming families, with two seasons a year of 15 episodes each, will feature two or three families competing in challenges. “We want to show the conflicts and daily life of farm families, along with their efforts in the reality show’s challenges. The community will evaluate which family produces the best organic products, and the winner will become a supplier for our healthy food franchises launching in the U.S.,” Márquez noted.

The Enrique’s Route Kids series features four 3D animated characters exploring real-life locations worldwide. “These kids can travel to the past and future, and the show’s goal is educational, which parents have asked for,” Márquez explained, adding that they are also producing toys for the animated series.

They plan to launch these series in English by the end of the year while forging partnerships in Mexico and other Latin American countries to air them in those markets.