MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — As Hispanic Heritage Month gets underway, businesses across southeastern Wisconsin are celebrating the culture, history and hard work behind their success.

Among them is Las Palmas Western Wear, a longtime business on Milwaukee's historic Mitchell Street.

Juan Ordaz founded the business in the late 1980s, initially operating it as a neighborhood corner store selling groceries and other everyday items.

Over the years, Las Palmas evolved into a western apparel shop known for handcrafted hats, boots and other clothing.

Ordaz's son told CBS 58 the business grew alongside Milwaukee's Latino community and credited his father's work ethic for helping it survive and expand over several decades.

Juan Ordaz

"Milwaukee back then didn't have as strong of a Latino community as it does today," Ordaz's son said. "He decided to stay here, got lucky enough to acquire the building that he's in right now on Sixth and Mitchell, and from there it just took off."

He said building the business required years of sacrifice.

"It took him lots of years of hard work, no days off and even working holidays," he said. "Those are the memories I have of him. He's just a hard worker; he doesn't stop."

Las Palmas is continuing to grow. The business recently acquired a second building along Mitchell Street that will be used for storage and distribution.

For the Ordaz family, the expansion marks another chapter for a business that has spent decades growing alongside Milwaukee's Hispanic community.