[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 66 (Tuesday, May 15, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E804-E805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HEATHER WILSON

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 15, 2001

  Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, they say salsa is now our country's #1 
condiment, beating out even the ketchup bottle. A New Mexico company 
known nationally for their salsa--and their green chile, and their 
tamales--is celebrating its 50th year of business this month.
  Bueno Foods takes pride in sharing a part of New Mexico's culture 
through the wonderful food they produce and market nationally. Please 
join me in congratulating Bueno Foods and the Baca Family on fifty 
successful years and thank them for their contributions to our 
community.
  In the beginning, for the Baca brothers, the company was a way to 
provide jobs for themselves and members of their community. After 
serving in WWII several of the brothers had difficulty finding jobs in 
Albuquerque. Their father Refujio had worked for the Santa Fe Railroad 
all his life but had always dreamed of owning his own business. He 
encouraged his sons to start their own business.
  The Ace Food Store, a neighborhood ``mom and pop'' grocery store, was 
born. They later

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saw a need to take their business in another direction. They expanded 
the store into carry-out, which featured traditional recipes by 
Filomena, the Baca brothers' mother, Also at this time freezers were 
becoming popular. The Baca brothers recalled the yearly family 
tradition popular throughout New Mexico for roasting fresh green chile 
over an open flame and freezing it for the winter months. They decided 
to take this home process into a commercial one and make this very 
special family tradition the focus of their restaurant and retail 
product lines. Food processing became their niche.
  Under the leadership of Jacqueline Baca, President (the daughter of 
founder Joe Baca), Bueno Foods' sales have grown six-fold and the 
number of employees has tripled. She started in the business at the age 
of 16 making tamales. Jacqueline is joined by her siblings in the 
family business. Gene Baca is Senior Vice President, Catherine Baca, 
MD, is Vice President of Research and Development, Ana Baca is 
Communications Manager and Marijo Baca pioneered the distribution of 
Bueno's products in the Colorado market. Together, they make the 
company's slogan ``From Our Family to Yours'' a reality.
  The Baca Family is committed to our community. From its start with 5 
employees to more than 240, located in the Barelas Industrial Park, 
Bueno is one of the largest employers in this ``Pocket of Poverty.'' 
Bueno contributes between 3 and 6 percent of after-tax profits to 
organizations that help people meet basic needs including housing, food 
and education. Among the many honors earned by Bueno Foods, in April 
2000, they received the first annual New Mexico Ethics in Business 
Award recognizing the integrity, ethical conduct and the highest 
standards of civic and social responsibility that is part of daily 
operations within the company.
  Please join me and other New Mexican's in honoring the Baca Family 
and Bueno Foods.

                          ____________________