Costco Connection - July 2005

Foods, the nation’s largest manufacturer of frozen The company also hosts health Mexican food products. He had no idea that he fairs to educate employees on would soon learn how to become a more produc- proper nutrition and on how to tive American. decrease the risk of diabetes and

Velez began taking educational courses offered at other diseases.

Ruiz Foods that taught him how to speak and read • Giving employees the necessary professional English and gave him other personal and professional tools to climb the company ladder, including classes tools that many people take for granted. Today, Velez on leadership, communication and computer train-is a packaging supervisor at Ruiz, overseeing 150 ing to operate the numerous machines in the plant. employees. He earns a respectable living. He’s also “The amount of pride and self-esteem that this earned something even more valuable—self-respect. creates for our team members is unbelievable,” Ruiz

“I used to be intimidated because I couldn’t speak tells The Connection during a recent visit to the English. When you don’t speak English in this coun- Dinuba plant. “It’s given many of these people oppor-try, your opportunities are limited,” says Velez, who tunities to do and be more than they ever thought also met his wife at Ruiz Foods. “The company pro- they could be. When you come from Mexico, and have vided me with one-on-one instruction for about four limited skills and communication, you may have lim-months. Those four months opened the door for me ited expectations. Now they are operating computers to learn what the United States truly had to offer me. and entering data. And in their lifetime, they never

“Sometimes I think about it and I’m amazed at thought they’d be able to do something like that. That how far I’ve come.” kind of self-esteem is unbelievable.”

Nurturing and educating employees is more than an after-hours benefit at Ruiz Foods. It’s a Starting from scratch practice that is at the very heart of the company— Making the most of every opportunity made and has a very real impact on its success. In short, the unlikely 40-year Ruiz family journey possible. It taking extraordinary steps to help employees makes began when Fred and his father, Louis, used a tiny good business sense, says Fred Ruiz, chairman and electric mixer, a cooking pot, a small chest freezer co-founder of Ruiz Foods. and authentic Mexican recipes from Fred’s mother,

“Over the years we’ve created a trust between the Rosie, and started selling frozen enchiladas and bur-company and the people,” says the 62-year-old Ruiz, ritos to retail outlets throughout central California. whose workforce is nearly 90 percent Hispanic. Fred, who was raised in central California, was “They trust us—that we’re going to take care of in charge of production, while Louis handled sales them, we’re going to provide them with good bene- and delivery. “They used to call our grandfather fits and a good environment. And we trust that Superman,”says Kim Ruiz Beck, the company’svice they’re going to make good products, that they’re chairman and Fred’s daughter. “He would load the going to work very hard and protect our company. frozen products into a plywood insulated box that

“I learned a long time ago that, in order to be he built into the back of a van. He’d drive from city successful, you have to rely on the power of people,” to city trying to sell the products to supermarkets. hecontinues.“Wesolveallofourproblemsthrough When he’d arrive at the sales call, he’d quickly our people. And we achieve all of our success change into his business clothes and sell the prod-through our people.” uct. Then he’d change back into his delivery clothes and drive to the next stop.”

Life tools, business tools Long hours and hard work provided a recipe for At Ruiz Foods, which recently celebrated its success. Day by day, year by year, Ruiz Foods kept

40th year in business, employees are called “team growing. “You go from little pots to bigger pots, members.” Hundreds of them have been given the you go from a small chest freezer to a big-opportunity to improve their professional and per- ger freezer, and it just goes on and sonal lives by attending classes at the company’s on,” explains Fred. “It’s a process of headquarters in Dinuba, California. The on-site being resourceful and knowing when education center functions in a typical classroom to go to the next step.” setting, with paid instructors. It is free to all employ- Ruiz Foods has taken giant strides in ees and offered at various times throughout the day recent years. The company’s 350,000-square- to accommodate staggered work shifts. The classes foot plant in Dinuba (about 30 miles south of provide a two-fold function: Fresno) has around-the-clock work shifts to pro-

• Helping employees function in the day-to- duce 151 million chimichangas and 293 million day world outside work, by teaching them English, taquitos per year. Ruiz Foods sells more than 180 how to count money, how to make change, how to frozen-food products under the El Monterey brand

PHOTO COURTESY RUIZ FOODS

Spice of life: Ruiz Foods team members sample authentic Mexican cuisine at the company’s Dinuba, California, facility.

^vepⁿr ^doo^rfile

Name: Ruiz Foods Inc. Employees: 1,900 Address:

501 S. Alta

Dinuba, CA 93618 Phone: 1-800-477-6474 Web site:

www.elmonterey.com

Products at Costco:

El Monterey beef burrito, chicken chimichanga, grilled chicken taquito, chicken quesadilla, burrito variety pack and many more ( selection varies by location).

Comments about Costco:

“It’s been an honor to work with Costco all these years. We share their beliefs in value and quality—and a commitment to constantly improve the products we sell to our customers.”