On Friday, the International Business program visited a hacienda. Haciendas traditionally have been plantations for growing a crop such as sugar cane. Many haciendas throughout history have used slave labor. The Hacienda Santa Cruz is located in between the two cities of Tetecala and Mazatepec. The grounds are very beautiful and have a wonderful history. The hacienda was a fully operating sugar cane and rice plantation until the Mexican Revolution in 1910. The hacienda was burned to rubble during the revolution. The great grandfather of the family that currently owns the hacienda bought the site in 1931. It was untouched for many years. Eventually it was passed down through the generations to the current owners.
After many more years and a lot of renovations, the hacienda has been divided into four parts. Two parts are small hotels, one part is a summer camp for kids, and another part is a private residence. The grounds also encompass a small chapel, a few barn animals, and a small mango orchard. There was an agreement between all of the owners to not alter the exterior of the buildings so as to keep intact the historical features of the complex. One of the hotel owners, Eduardo, spoke with us about his business and the operations of his section of the hacienda. The hacienda has a few full time workers that get paid well and get full benefits. Some staff is hired as needed depending on the number of guests. The hacienda is also working towards being completely environmentally responsible—it has started with compost and a strict recycling regiment, among other things.
The chapel and main groundsEduardo currently works outside the hacienda, but plans on retiring soon to work on the hacienda full time. It needs a more focused approach on marketing but Eduardo will spearhead that after retirement. The hacienda targets events such as weddings and groups such as business seminars.
It was important for the business students to make this trip. It showed us one more business in a transitioning phase. The Hacienda Santa Cruz is not a highly profitable business now but very well could be in the future. Also, it gave us valuable information about the history of some haciendas and what many are being used for today. Many old haciendas are hotels but some are still in ruins and others have various other uses. This place has a lot of potential and is an exciting prospect to watch.
