Valley Voice Newspaper

Visalia - The third Mercado El Progresso supermarket in Tulare County – and the first in Visalia – is currently under construction at 1610 N. Dinuba Blvd. The new 27,000-square-foot store, which should be open in July, is expected to cost about $6 million, according to Joseph Nguyen, acting CFO.

“Hispanics dominate this area, but they don't have a Hispanic market,” Nguyen said. “This is the first time they will have a Hispanic market to cater to all of their day-to-day needs.”

“People categorize stores,” said Victor Lambarena, general manager. “We're more of a general market store, but at the same time, we cater to Hispanics.”

The family-owned business, with stores in Porterville and Lindsay, was started in 1984. In addition to serving the shopping needs of the community, the company also provides local employment.

“We expect to hire 100 new employees,” said Nguyen. “About 90 percent of them will be full time, from cashiers to bakers, from butchers to the accounting department.”

Mercado El Progresso supermarkets are known for fresh tortillas which are prepared on site. The new location will have a cafeteria and a full-size bakery offering cakes and 35 varieties of fresh pan dulce (sweetbread). The market will also offer homemade carnitas, pollo los rostizado (rotisserie chicken), several varieties of tacos and fresh seasonal juices, including watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple and orchata (rice).

The company is headed by its 28-year-old president, Jorge Camacho, who having started in the family business at the age of 5, has 23 years of supermarket experience.

“He knows the business inside out,” Nguyen said. “He plans to take the company to the next level. He plans to have up to 10 stores in the Central Valley in the next five years. We want to progress to becoming the dominant Hispanic market.”

The Mercado El Progresso in Porterville will be moving to a new location, about a quarter-mile from its current site, according to Nguyen.

“And look for a second location in Visalia,” he said. He would not get specific about the location because the company has a competitor, but he did say that the location would be in south Visalia.

The new supermarket was designed by the Townsend Architectural Group of Porterville. The Pickett Construction Corporation of Tulare is constructing the facility.

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