How One Business was Able to Improve Employee Retention
When Carmen Lang moved from Mexico City to California, she didn’t expect to start a business—or to quickly face challenges like how to improve employee retention. Her journey began with something far more personal: the search for quality tortillas.
What had been abundant and deeply rooted in her daily life in Mexico was surprisingly hard to find in California.
“I used to go to Oakland to get my tortillas because I found a decent brand that was okay for me,” said Lang. “I eat tortillas every day. I’m not going to eat bad tortillas every day. I’m not going to make that part of my diet.”
That realization sparked an idea—one that would eventually lead to the creation of Hola! Tortilla, a Nevada City–based business dedicated to producing authentic, hand‑made, organic tortillas using simple, high‑quality ingredients.
“People need to know what a real tortilla without additives is,” Lang said. “With just simple ingredients.”
What began as a passion rooted in culture quickly grew into a thriving wholesale business serving restaurants, grocery stores, food banks, and schools throughout the region. But like many growing businesses, Hola! Tortilla soon faced a staffing challenge: How could the enterprise improve employee retention without sacrificing product quality or company values?
The Challenge: How to Improve Employee Retention
While demand for Hola! Tortilla’s products remained strong during and after the pandemic, staffing became increasingly difficult.
“As a small business, we struggled a lot after the pandemic, especially with staffing,” Lang said. “Staff started to turn over every two weeks.”
With frequent turnover, much of the responsibility of keeping the business running fell directly on Lang.
“I was pretty burned out because I couldn’t find stable staff to help run my business.”
It’s a challenge many small business owners know all too well—balancing daily operations while constantly recruiting, training, and covering shifts, often with little relief.
The Solution: A Game-Changing Partnership
Searching for a more sustainable staffing solution, Lang enrolled in a local business course, where she received advice that would change the trajectory of her business.
“I took a business class at the local business center, and that’s where I met Tim Yamauchi,” Lang said. “He worked for PRIDE Industries in the past and told me it might be a good solution.”
That recommendation led Lang to partner with PRIDE Industries, a social enterprise that creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
“It was like it came from heaven,” Lang said. “We tried PRIDE Industries, and it pretty much saved me.”
Through the partnership, PRIDE Industries provided employees supported by dedicated job coaches—bringing structure, consistency, and accountability to Hola! Tortilla’s production process. This greatly improved employee retention at the company, which had an immediate positive impact throughout Hola! Tortilla’s operations.
“Once they learned the whole process and felt comfortable in the space, I could leave them by themselves to take care of production,” Lang said. “That allowed me to use my time for other tasks like marketing or sales to help grow the business.”
With a reliable team in place, Lang was able to step out of constant crisis mode and focus on long‑term growth.
The partnership also resonated deeply within the Nevada City community.
“We do mostly wholesale—that’s the majority of our business,” Lang said. “We make tortillas for restaurants, supermarkets, sometimes food banks and schools. And they know we work with people with disabilities, and they’re so happy to know that PRIDE Industries is working with us.”
Quality, Trust, and Consistency
At the heart of Hola! Tortilla is Lang’s commitment to quality. Producing a consistent product—one that meets her standards every time—requires precision, reliability, and trust. That consistency was difficult to maintain amid constant staff turnover—a problem that was solved once PRIDE Industries employees joined her team.
“Once I gave them the recipe, they were able to follow the instructions to a T,” Lang said. “One of the blessings of having PRIDE Industries on board is that the program is structured in such a way that they’re supervised by their job coach. So everything comes out right.”
For Lang, that structure translated into peace of mind.
“Honestly, they are the most trustworthy and loyal employees I’ve ever had.”
That experience is echoed by the PRIDE Industries staff who support the partnership.
“Our team got in here and they blew it out of the water,” said Miranda Weesner, Workforce Inclusion Assistant Manager at PRIDE Industries. “When it comes down to measuring, processing, and prepping, they do an amazing job.”
Wiesner also emphasized a broader truth she’s seen across industries.
“People with disabilities are some of the hardest workers I’ve ever met. They’re extremely reliable. They come to work with initiative each day, and just because they have a disability doesn’t mean they can’t do the job to a high standard.”
The Results: Stability That Fuels Growth
Since partnering with PRIDE Industries, Lang has found more than just reliable staffing; she’s gained the stability needed to expand her business. With a reliable production team in place, she’s now able to invest time and energy into growth opportunities that were previously out of reach.
“We are about to start with the Sacramento Natural Foods Co‑op,” Lang said. “They have our products on their shelves, and soon we’re going to start making wraps for their deli. That’s a big commitment and a big account for us.”
For Lang, the partnership with PRIDE Industries has proven that workforce inclusion can help small businesses improve employee retention while improving quality, stability, trust, and long‑term growth.
“When I talk to other business owners, I always recommend PRIDE Industries because it really saved my business,” she said. “The team has shown me that they can do anything. The fact that they’re labeled with disabilities, I don’t see it. They’re better, much better than many employees I’ve had before.”
“When I talk to other business owners, I always recommend PRIDE Industries because it really saved my business. The team has shown me that they can do anything."
Services Provided:
- 2 Work Groups
- Job Coaching
- Employer Support
Results:
- Stable Staffing
- Consistent High Quality
- Stronger Community & Customer Trust
- Lowered Management Burden
- Greater Growth Capacity
