Mission Foods Relocates Cerritos Plant to Fullerton
By CHRIS CZIBORR
Irving, Texas-based Mexican food maker Mission Foods Corp., part of Mexico’s Gruma SA de CV, has moved a distribution facility to Fullerton from Cerritos.
Mission signed a five-year, $1.2 million lease for 35,982 square feet at 628 N. Gilbert St. in the Fullerton Crossroads industrial park. The company expects to employ 25 people with no plans for big hiring in the next year, said Dan Smith, logistics manager at the Fullerton plant.
“Fullerton was very centrally located to deliver out of,” Smith said. “Most of our customers are in Orange County and south Los Angeles County.”
Mission’s former 45,000-square-foot Cerritos building was too big for its needs, Smith said.
The Fullerton facility is set to distribute tortillas, chips and taco shells made at Mission’s U.S. plants. Besides its California operations in Fullerton, Fresno, Madera and Rancho Cucamonga, Mission also has facilities in Colorado, Georgia, Oregon and Texas.
Chief customers include Hispanic retailers Santa Ana-based Northgate Market and Santa Ana-based Gigante USA Inc., the U.S. arm of Mexican supermarket operator Grupo Gigante SA de CV. Mission also sells to Kroger Co.’s Ralphs and Food 4 Less, Vons Cos. and Stater Bros. Holdings Inc.
Smith said the Fullerton plant should see about 5% to 6% revenue growth this year. Mission doesn’t break out sales figures from individual facilities, he said.
“The Hispanic population is the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population so that of course helps,” Smith said.
Mission, founded in 1949, is one of the biggest makers and distributors of Mexican foods. The company claims it is the largest maker of corn and flour tortillas and accounts for about a quarter of all the world’s tortillas.
Parent Gruma had sales of $1.9 billion last year. The company also sells tortillas under the Maseca and Guerrero brands and counts Irvine-based Taco Bell Corp. as a customer.
