Food truck manufacturer expands in Modesto

In 1999, Ignacio Ochoa went from operating a food truck to making them himself on Kansas Avenue in Modesto.

On Monday, he celebrated another leap, to a site in the Beard Industrial District that has twice the room for the booming business.

Cal Central Catering Trailers employs 16 people at its location on Finch Road, but it aims to reach 150 in the next few years, including plans for nonfood trailers. Food trucks, a long-beloved sight in Latino communities, have caught the eye of celebrity chefs and other people who serve up many kinds of fare.

“Many people use this kind of equipment right now,” Ochoa said while standing inside an 18-foot-long truck that sells for about $72,000. “You can see Italian food in this kind of truck, Chinese …”

Cal Central hosted a gathering that included city, Stanislaus County and business leaders. The Stanislaus Business Alliance and PMZ Real Estate worked with the company, which had considered moving outside Modesto.

Ochoa, a native of Mexico, came to the United States in 1988 and Modesto in 1996. He had a seafood truck on Crows Landing Road but decided it was not up to snuff.

“My dad – the amazing man he is – said, ‘Why not build one?’” said Stephanie Ochoa, one of the owner’s three children.

Cal Central sells its custom-made vehicles mainly in the Central Valley and Bay Area, but some have gone to a few other places around the nation. The Cupcake Lady, a local favorite, has one. So do purveyors of burgers, kettle corn, Mexican food and other treats.

A truck takes about six weeks to assemble, from the axles, tires and chassis to the griddles, burners, food-cutting areas, refrigerators, sinks, shelves and air-conditioning. They are designed to meet health codes and can go to any spot where local governments allow them. Prices start at $42,000 for a 10-footer, and financing is available.

Cal Central plans to branch into other types of trailers, such as those used on dump trucks, and use more of the 70,000 total square feet at its location, a former warehouse.

County Supervisor Bill O’Brien told the crowd that Cal Central is a small business that provides products that make other small businesses possible. And board colleague Terry Withrow said bigger things could be in the offing.

“This is another homegrown industry that we’re starting here, and someday you’re going to be like those Gallos and those Fosters,” Withrow said, referring to major wine and poultry companies based in the area.

This story was originally published June 29, 2015 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Food truck manufacturer expands in Modesto."