Delicious Tamales, a leading tamale manufacturer in San Antonio, is now run by Valerie Gonzalez and her two daughters, Herlinda and Iliana Lopez who are helping run the family business started nearly 30 years ago by their parents.
With six locations across the city and more in the works, including a new distribution center, Delicious Tamales annually cooks up more than 4.3 million tamales, shipping their product anywhere in the United States.
Immediately after graduating from the University of the Incarnate Word with an arts degree, Herlinda, 26, stepped in to work full time at the manufacturing plant when her parent’s divorce was imminent.
Iliana, 27, recently returned to the family business after a hiatus, having completed her second degree at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and anthropology and plans to pursue her master’s. When she’s not in school, she assists in the office and with customer service.
“My sister Iliana and I have been working here all our lives since age 5 or 6,” said Herlinda, who is vice-president of Delicious Inc. “There was no such thing as summer or Christmas vacation. We were always here.”
As VP, Herlinda is learning every aspect of the family business right alongside her mother who became sole owner in 2006. “We’re breaking new ground together,” she said.
Since taking sole ownership, Gonzalez has received several business awards, including being named SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year in May.
Herlinda has helped to bring the family business into the Internet age with the launch of a new online store (www.delicioustamales.com) a few years ago which now accounts for 3 percent of overall sales.
She was also instrumental in introducing two new tamale varieties to their growing product line: the Southwest Vegetarian Tamale and the Sweet Tamale. Altogether, they sell nine varieties of tamales with the traditional pork tamale being their No. 1 seller.
On the production side, Herlinda weighs the spices each week while her mom ensures that the meat and other supplies are ordered. Herlinda also supervises and hires employees and gets involved in the marketing – even agreeing to don the company mascot costume on occasion and organizing the company’s annual events.
Making tamales isn’t the only interest for this energetic and ambitious entrepreneur. She also finds time to perform in a local cover band and recorded her first CD at Tejas Studios entitled “Her” after her stage name. The CD includes original music written by the aspiring singer and others. She also recently enrolled in the MBA program at UTSA and expects to graduate in 2012.
Gonzalez often refers to Herlinda as her “right hand woman.” She admires her strong work ethic, drive and the fresh perspective she brings to the family business.
“Herlinda works very hard and I can count on her to help wherever she’s needed,” Gonzalez said.
Herlinda agrees that she and her mom are more alike than different when it comes to operating the family business. “We’re both very meticulous, precise,” she said. “We hardly ever argue and we don’t step on each other’s toes. We respect each other a lot.”
