Cacique Foods CEO explains why he moved his company from California to Texas

Cacique Foods was about as California as it comes, having spent nearly 50 years nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. But as the company celebrates the one-year anniversary of its move to North Texas, CEO Gil de Cardenas has no second thoughts about uprooting the family business.
“It’s hard to describe how special this place is,” he says from Cacique's new headquarters in Irving.
De Cardenas thinks about his father selling cheese from the back of a car, as he marvels at the new dairy processing plant in Amarillo. He says Cacique spent nearly $90 million to build a facility with “seven miles of stainless-steel tubing, and 1400 smart valves that open and close within half a second.”
And his executive team is guiding the company’s growth from a new headquarters, in the Las Colinas area of Irving.
“The business will double in five years, that’s the goal," de Cardenas says. "And then double again in 8 to 9 years.”
The “business” is Mexican-style cheeses, cremas, salsas and chorizo. A company that started with one product now makes 75. But to understand why the move to Texas made sense, you need to see where it started, in 1960s Cuba.
It was the height of Fidel Castro’s power, and Gilbert Sr. and Jennie de Cardenas were barely getting by.
“My dad was a cheesemaker in Cuba," de Cardenas says. "He had a little cheese plant that he operated with my grandfather, making queso fresco.”
FULL STORY: www.wfaa.com/article/features...

[@gus91340]

Never take anything for granted. This interview hit me hard 🥺. Thank you for sharing your incredible story 🙏🏻

[@carolinatxan]

My mother and abuelo (both born in Mexico) both told me there was honor in any job (legal job). I never heard about any welfare programs until i was in my 30s. We didn't do that, do whatever job you can because there is honor in it.

[@pbj0815]

Same! 💪🏼✨✨

[@sergioprieto8392]

Los Altos came in the picture.

[@user-qd5rb4zu8q]

Only one who has traveled the road knows where the holes are deep and can transverse them successfully

[@Dakatari]

Hmm, no close the border comments that's surprising.

[@carolinatxan]

I'm still about close the border. Come here legally. There are terrorists coming across now. America always welcome people that want to become Americans not invaders and criminals. People that want to fight with us not against us.

[@sislertx]

Duh...now we got a ton of new york companies escaping tyranny