Maria and Ricardo's tortilla company in Canton blends heritage and technology
CANTON - From raw flower, to flattening to full-scale packaging, Maria and Ricardo's said their company is a perfect blend of heritage and technology.
"We're really trying to emulate the traditional handmade tortilla process," Maria & Ricardo's CEO Checue Montemayor said. What began in 1986 in Jamaica Plain, by two cousins who emigrated from Mexico, has now become one of the largest tortilla manufacturers on the East Coast. "Every consumer deserves to eat a good tortilla right. It's sort of our gift to the world."
Montemayor said the tortilla plant in Canton operates 24 hours a day, five days a week.
"It's about natural and organic ingredients, paying tribute to the origins of the products," he said.
More than 100 different products are produced at the plant daily and shipped to restaurants, schools, universities and supermarkets across the country.
"There is a lot of passion in what we do. Every year there's a moment of inspiring ourselves in our heritage, what else can we bring to the market. We put in a lot of effort into bringing the best of both worlds. From one hand the heritage but the also the science," Montemayor said.
The plant produces more than a million tortillas a day in all variations and sizes that reach 48 states. They employ 200 people with room to expand.
"Proud of the great progress that we have, the customers we have and especially the great Maria & Ricardo's team that work hard to make difference everyday," Montemayor said.
