Tampico Spice Company, Inc.

Tampico Spice Company: Over 65 Years of Flavor The story of the Tampico Spice Company is the story of the American dream. Jesus Martinez was born in California before the time of the 1929 stock market crash. Although his childhood in Los Angeles was marked by the poverty of the Great Depression, he was a firm believer that hard work and perseverance were the keys to success. The $35 Beginning: In 1947 Mr. Martinez scraped together $35 to buy his first inventory of spices, which he immediately repackaged into small cellophane packets. Mr. Martinez then peddled his spices door-to-door to all the corner markets in the Los Angeles, California area. His $35 investment turned into a $50 profit, which he used to buy more spices. Tampico Spice Company – one of the first companies in the world to package spices in cellophane bags for enhanced visibility and convenience – was born! Mr. Martinez’ routine was to get up early, deliver the prior day’s orders, then go door-to-door until he visited 10 new markets, and finally go home to pack up the products for the next day’s deliveries. It was hard work, but it paid off. A Successful Player in the Spice Industry: Today Tampico Spice Company is an established and recognized food processor selling herbs and spices across the Western United States. Still family owned and operated, and located in Los Angeles, the third generation of the Martinez family has now joined the team. The future's looking bright (and spicy!) at Tampico.