La Abuela Mexican Foods, Inc.

La Abuela Mexican Foods first opened its doors in 1984 as a food manufacturer of various tortillas and tortilla products whose taste, freshness, and convenience make into high sellers. Since then, the company, founded and managed by Ms. Wells, has experienced tremendous growth. Recently, La Abuela embarked on yet another growth experience: obtaining capital resources to initiate an expansion plus physical relocation.

Cristina M. Wells, President and the creator of the company, moved to the United States in 1990 from Monterrey, Mexico. Using the traditional recipes used by Mexican housewives, she began producing homemade, uncooked, flour tortillas, with no preservatives, conditioners, or extenders. This idea has blossomed into a successful small business which offers its products to thousands of customers in an area from the Rio Grande Valley to Corpus Christi.

Initially selling the tortillas to friends, she evolved her concept and tested its marketability. Her first opportunity to introduce the product to a bigger market came from HEB on N 10th in McAllen. Ms. Wells then cautiously increased production for a number of HEBs and later expanded into every main grocery franchise in South Texas, a few convenience stores, and several local restaurants. To keep up with product demand, she moved into a location with a few employees. She combined mass production and distribution techniques to create a product which has a superior taste and is unparalleled in quality.  

Recently, to ensure her company’s continued growth and expansion into new markets, Ms. Wells decided to expand the operations and relocate from its current downtown McAllen facility to Weslaco. The move gave La Abuela the space and flexibility it needs to continue to increase its year round production capability in pursuit of La Abuela’s growth goals.

In preparing for the expansion of the facility, Ms. Wells sought the assistance of various agencies, among which were the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center, the Department of Agriculture, and the Southwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center.

 One particular obstacle, shared by many small and expanding businesses, was the need for capital to support the expansion. La Abuela sought capital assistance from the SBA with counseling support from the Small Business Development Center, a component of CoSERVE. The SBDC assisted Ms. Wells in completing the business plan and loan proposal to the bank and SBA.

Ms. Wells takes pride in leading an organization with a positive business forecast and a positive impact on the community. La Abuela works closely with the Department of Agriculture and is involved in the “Go Texan” program: over 80% of the La Abuela’s product comes from Texas. Ms. Wells welcomes success for La Abuela, its employees, and its vendors.

La Abuela’s greatest assets are its accumulated knowledge of production and marketing combined with its experienced workforce. The staff has grown and Ms. Wells expects the business to continue to grow, creating an overall impact on the local economy. Ms. Wells and La Abuela have garnered a wealth of information and numerous allies in their path to success. They look forward to the new challenges the expansion will bring, working in new markets and strengthening their current knowledge.

For further information on the services offered by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), please call the SBDC at (956) 292-7535.  SBDC staff will be more than glad to answer any questions you have on starting and/or expanding a business venture.