Monday, November 7, 2011

"Beto" Co-partner Of El Rey Foods Passed Away Over The Weekend In Wisconsin

Heriberto "Beto" Villarreal

Co-founder of El Rey Products in Wisconsin passed away.

By H. Nelson Goodson
November 7, 2011

Milwaukee - On Sunday, Heriberto "Beto" Villarreal, 71, an icon in the El Rey Foods grocery chain in Wisconsin died at his home in Hartland due to health complications from the last six years. He had suffered a stroke and had progressive Alzheimer's disease. Beto had also suffered injuries from an accident that occurred when a driver lost control of the vehicle and it crashed into an emergency waiting room at the Waukesha Memorial Hospital years ago. He was in the waiting room with his daughter Dianna when the accident happened. Beto managed to push Dianna aside and kept her from getting injured. He was badly injured and the accident accelerated the Alzheimer's illness, according to the family. The Villarreal family had been mourning the loss of Beto's mother, Guadalupe who passed away several weeks ago at the age of 97.
According to El Rey Foods website, Beto was born in 1940 in Mexico and first arrived in Wisconsin in 1960 with his father Octavio Villarreal. He was educated in Mexico and is survived by his wife Criselda Villarreal and two daughters, Laura Hyland and Dianna Villarreal and three sons, Ernesto, Armando and Geraldo. Beto and Criselda have three grandchildren, Keely, Hayle and Jacob.
Beto a long time partner with his brother Ernesto Villarreal and Olivia Villarreal, Ernesto's wife are well known for their El Rey Products business chain in Milwaukee's predominately Hispanic South side community and Wisconsin. Olivia has been the El Rey corporate secretary and administrator for years.
The first El Rey store opened in 1979 at 1000 S. Cesar E. Chavez Dr. (formerly S. 16th St.). The second established El Rey Grocery store at 1023 S. Cesar E. Chavez Drive was closed in March 2011 by El Rey Mexican Products, Inc. to make way for a new Family Dollar store at the location.
The El Rey Mexican Products, Inc. employs more than 500 people and more than 318 of them are minorities, according to their website. In 2005, El Rey reported more than $50 million in yearly earnings and recently has surpassed those earnings to an estimated $74 million per year.
They opened a new El Rey store in May 2007 at 916 S. Cesar E. Chavez Drive, manage a corn tortilla factory at 1530 S. Muskego Ave., a Food Mart on the 1300 block of W. Burnham St., El Rey store on the 3500 block of W. Burnham St., has a wholesale distribution center at 710 W. National Ave. and numerous real estate properties along the Chavez Drive business corridor between W. Greenfield Ave. and W. National Ave. The Mexican style tortilla factory makes, corn chips, tamales, tortillas and tostadas, which are then distributed throughout the state and abroad. The El Rey products can be found at Pick 'n Save and Sentry stores.
Last year, they purchased the Asian Food Store building at the 1200 block of Chavez Drive, across from E&J Records and was newly renovated. Real estate owned by El Rey includes a shopping mall at the 2700 block of W. National Ave.
A new business venture for the Villarreal's was announced in February 2011. They bought the Sentry store and property at the 5100 block of W. Oklahoma Ave. and spend at least $500,000 to renovate the Sentry store, which recently opened. The store opened in mid October.

Funeral services for Heriberto "Beto" Villarreal:

Funeral services will be held on Nov. 8th, Tuesday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Rosary at 7:00 p.m.) at the Randle-Dable Funeral Home, 1110 S. Grand Ave., Waukesha, WI
On Wednesday, Nov. 9th, mass will be at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 822 East Ave., Waukesha, WI beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Final resting place will follow after mass at Highland Memorial Cemetery.

Connected by MOTOBLUR™ on T-Mobile

No comments: