Lydia Gutierrez serves as President and CEO of Hacienda Mexican Foods a manufacturer of Mexican Food products located in Detroit. HMF is a multimillion-dollar company co-founded by Lydia and her late husband in 1990. As President, Lydia is responsible for running all facets of her business. She has a proven track record with more than 35 years of experience in the food business. She has grown her manufacturing company from just her husband and her to employing more than 70 most residents of SW Detroit. Lydia is an entrepreneur, she understands the food industry and the importance of compliance, supply chain, manufacturing, R&D, procurement, distribution, planning, transportation, inventory management, quality and more importantly is active on the production floor. Lydia’s career has been marked by innovation and foresight. After losing her husband in 2005, she moved her company into a 33,000-sq. foot facility to allow for continued growth and advancement. She purchased new equipment, developed new product extensions and increased the company’s distribution footprint from local to international. She has been at the forefront of Hispanic woman in manufacturing and received a lifetime achievement award from Michigan Food & Beverage Association. She is an established businesswoman and promotes the community that helped raised her – Southwest Detroit.