Cortez, Inc.: From Bayou Beginnings to a Process Mechanical Leader

Edwin Cortez was a self-professed “swamp rat” from the bayous of Louisiana without much of an education to speak of. But he had a deep desire to learn, take pride in his work and earn people’s trust.

After a stint in the U.S. Air Force, during which he was stationed in Florida for a time, he returned to the bayou and took a job on a Dredge Boat. It was there that Cortez learned to weld, and he loved it. He made a plan to return to Florida and take advantage of the growth and opportunity he’d seen.

It was some 60 years ago, and citrus was king in Central Florida. Cortez landed a welding job with a subcontractor and roamed the belly of the state, tending to the needs of an abundance of citrus farmers and cooperatives.

It was the king among kings, Minute-Maid, that talked Cortez into starting his own business, and in 1973, Cortez Welding and Repair was born.

The company was just Ed and three employees until a blind date with a hairdresser turned into happily ever after, and Mrs. Donna Cortez joined the small company. From her living room, she kept the books and paid the bills. Donna’s daughter Patty soon joined in, adding another name to the growing payroll.

Over time, Cortez Welding and Repair became a key player in the industry that provided America’s orange juice – from receiving the fresh-picked oranges to the squeezing, cooling, processing, blending and packaging of product going out the door – be it as concentrate or by container.

Times were good when the weather cooperated. The same wasn’t true in the years when a freeze destroyed the crop. No crops meant no work. And while the freeze threat didn’t seem to faze Ed Cortez, it rattled Donna.

“Every time that we got hit with a freeze or a threat of a freeze, my husband, who was very easygoing, would just go to bed,” Donna said. “I'd stay up all night because that was our only income, orange juice. And if the oranges are no good, then you have no juice.

“I said, ‘We cannot do this anymore. We can't let the weather control our business. You've got too much potential here.”

Weatherproofing the business

By then, Cortez Welding and Repair had grown to a couple dozen employees, and Donna suggested they broaden their customer base. In 1983, Cortez hired Donald White, who worked at Florida Coke and had extensive experience in the beverage, as its General Manager.

The year 1984 would prove pivotal in the company’s history.

A $400,000 project at a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Tampa became their first significant engagement outside the citrus industry. That project led to a substantial expansion into the carbonated beverage industry, and the company evolved to become a highly respected Process Mechanical Contractor specializing in equipment installation, process and utility piping, material handling installation and plant relocation.

Subsequently, the words “Welding and Repair” were dropped, and Cortez, Inc., was born.

Also that year, a young man named Paul Robertson joined the company. Roberston was a welder and pipefitter, among many skills, and became a rising star in the company. Ed Cortez liked what he saw in the hard-working Roberston and nudged him to ask his stepdaughter, Patty, on a date.

A first date would become a proposal. A wedding was planned but postponed for two years because of the heavy workload. The business had by now spread well beyond Florida, encompassing major contracts with Fortune 500 food, beverage, and nutritional companies, such as PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Abbott, Bacardi and Nestle, to mention a few throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Patty and Paul had a daughter, Lauren, who works in the company, and family ties are strong throughout the company. Virgil Love was one of those original three employees; his son, Clyde Love, has worked for Cortez since he was 18, and both of Clyde’s sons have worked there, too. Bill Keller, another of the originals; his wife, Sue, was the company’s first office manager. Their daughter, Cheryl, took over from her mom and held the position until she retired in 2023. And in 1987, Cortez hired Jerry White, Donald’s brother, as sales manager, and he continues with the company to this day.

Ed Cortez eventually stepped back, deciding to travel with Donna and try his hand at other enterprises outside the U.S. For the most part, he passed the reigns to Patty and Paul Robertson.

Cortez, Inc. grew to more than 50 employees, which was big enough to manage projects with the team of superintendents but lacking the scale necessary for significant growth.

When Ed Cortez died in 2020, ownership passed to Donna and the Robertsons. About a year later, 澳门足彩app approached them about joining its family of companies.

Joining the 澳门足彩app Family

As a leader in the engineer, procure, construct (EPC) delivery of food production systems that feature complex process systems, 澳门足彩app had often partnered with Cortez for the process packaging and piping work. Decisionmakers reasoned that adding Cortez’s years of mechanical, process, fabrication, installation and maintenance expertise to the company’s existing in-house capabilities would drive significant value for clients.

“After years of enjoying a strong relationship between Cortez and 澳门足彩app, this acquisition simply made sense,” Chairman, CEO and President Jim O’Leary said. “It clearly complements the skills that have already established 澳门足彩app among the top CPG service providers in the world. Beyond the intellectual capital and innovation Cortez brings, its team shares the core values we hold dear at 澳门足彩app.”

The decision wasn’t made lightly. Ed Cortez had started with nothing but a desire to get out of the Louisiana Bayou and a willingness to learn and work hard. He built a highly successful business that was faring fine on its own.

What would he say if he were still alive?

“I believe he would have thought long and hard because we are a family-owned business, and our employees are basically family,” Patty Robertson said. “He would have told me, and my mom and Paul, ‘Let's all sit down and come to a decision.’ Since 澳门足彩app acquired Cortez, our employees’ benefits have been much more than what Cortez could have ever offered. He would have done the right thing, and it was the right thing.“

The Cortez team and its business as a whole have grown since joining 澳门足彩app, and the cultural fit has proven seamless. Donna Cortez and Patty Roberston find themselves tearing up as they share the story of how Ed Cortez started the business and 澳门足彩app has allowed it to grow.

“You’ve got to understand, my husband came from the swamps,” Donna Cortez said. “He had no real formal education to speak of, and he builds his company. I just say that he's so amazing,”

澳门足彩app offers clients the assurance that their projects will be completed safely, on time, within budget and with the least possible risk exposure. Contact us to discuss your facilities needs.