Gustavo “Gus” Gutierrez fought the devastating effects of COVID-19 for more than a month, but died last November in Las Vegas at the age of 61. It was in this city that he settled decades ago and forged a legacy for his dedication to the tortilla industry and community service.
The Tortilla Industry Association’s TIA Convention, held last July in San Antonio, Texas, celebrated the life of “Gus” Gutierrez and his countless contributions to the industry as a member of the association and CEO of Tortillas Incorporated.
Natalie Bacany-Gutiérrez and María Teresa Gutiérrez, daughter and tireless workers, also remembered.
“Gus” Gutierrez was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco. He moved to California with his family in the early 1960s. Gus later moved to Las Vegas, where he started working in a hotel when he was 17.
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Maria Teresa, who ran the company as president after the death of her brother “Gus”, said the tortilla business was started by her father, Jose Luis Gutierrez, in her home garage in the late 1970s. “My brother and I helped make the tortillas every day after we finished work.”
The merchant spirit of “Gus” Gutierrez soon came to the fore when he managed to make the first major tortilla sale to a Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas, “that was the first account the business had,” remembers Maria Teresa.
The Latino community began to grow in Las Vegas, new Hispanic stores opened their doors, and soon Gutierrez’s tortilla business began to grow. They got another tortilla machine, moved into a store where they sold their tortillas, and thus began the road to success for “Gus” and his family.
After purchasing a new machine to produce large quantities of tortillas, they moved to a spacious warehouse. From ten employees, they grew to nearly a hundred, and their tortillas, tostadas, and chips, Los Arcos, became famous. The commercial spirit of Gus led the family business to prosperity with the support of the entire workforce.
But according to his daughter Natalie, who is now the company’s managing director, and his sister Maria Teresa, it was of vital importance for “Gus” to share this wealth. “My dad believed in the meaning of ‘prepay’ and that’s why he loved helping others because he said that the way you gave it, you got,” said Natalie.
“When Gus left us and I had to start organizing his papers in the office and going through the mail, my gosh, he gave so much, I think he donated to every organization in town, but Gus didn’t comment on that up, but no wonder he was such a blessed man, ”his sister said very emotionally.
When the pandemic forced stores to close, “Gus” Gutierrez’s Tortillería factory was seriously affected, as much of its sales went to restaurants. Many of his employees fell ill, and “Gus” worked day and night on the machines until he also got COVID in the last week of September. Gus was hospitalized in October, and despite battling the virus for a month, he struggled hard when his favorite movie character, “Rocky”, died on November 8th.
Despite the loss of “Gus” Gutierrez, his sister and daughter continue to run Tortillas Incorporated, honor his memory, and do the work he has loved for most of his life.
