Meet Carlos Rivera, Gabriela Salguero and Ulises Tolentino | SALTAI Founders

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carlos Rivera, Gabriela Salguero and Ulises Tolentino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carlos, Gabriela, and Ulises, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Our flooring store and nearby businesses experienced a surge in demand for affordable mouldings due to shortages caused by the pandemic and port delays. Major corporations opted to prioritize their larger clients, which was understandable. We viewed this situation as an opening to explore the idea of importing our own products, leading us to embark on our research journey and create what is now SALTAI ultralight MDF mouldings.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our journey at SALTAI is rooted in a profound commitment to sustainability and eco-friendliness, which guides our production processes. We pride ourselves on importing products that are free from harmful chemicals. Our mission extends beyond business, as we set out to create additional job opportunities within our local community in South Central Los Angeles. It’s a way for us to give back to the community that has enriched our lives. We aspire to uplift our community and actively participating in community betterment initiatives. Giving back is an integral part of our ethos.

Taking risks is part of our DNA. Despite the daunting challenges of establishing a business during a pandemic, we held firm to our optimism and trust in our team and product, driven by strong demand and a clear mission. Now, we proudly witness the remarkable evolution of SALTAI.

SALTAI is more than a family-owned business; it’s a manifestation of being exceptionally well-prepared, professional, persistent, compassionate, highly responsive, and a cohesive team. These principles set us apart in a fiercely competitive market.

We are fortunate to have the guidance of a seasoned flooring industry expert as our CEO and primary founder, with over three decades of experience. We’ve faced challenges along the way, but our unwavering confidence in our product, service, and company’s overall mission propels us forward. We prioritize our customers’ success by offering fair prices and fostering a sense of community within the business.

This company has brought immense joy into our lives, forging a strong, enthusiastic team dedicated to our community, family, and customers’ well-being. Our vision is for everyone to prosper and succeed. Our company signifies more than MDF mouldings; it’s about being part of a supportive community that benefits people and the environment. Sustainability is at the core of our commitment. Our mouldings come from Chile, home to one of the world’s largest rainforests. We’ve formed partnerships and dedicated ourselves to planting 100 trees for every 20 trees harvested, extending our concern to the planet, our community, and our valued customers.

Success, for us, is not a fixed definition. It’s an ongoing journey that aligns with our mission. A key indicator of our success is when our customers and dealers report growth since they started stocking our MDF moldings. Our success is intertwined with their growth. We maintain a fair pricing strategy in the market to ensure our dealers enjoy healthy profit margins. Our goal isn’t to engage in high-priced overselling but to foster the growth of dealers in our region. Witnessing our dealers thrive and express their growth due to our products is immensely gratifying, especially as we expand into more states. The future of SALTAI is an exciting prospect, and we eagerly anticipate the path ahead.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We are big foodies, so we love to go out and eat. I personally think a perfect day in the city is hitting a new spot to try or going to my regular spots. One of my favorites is Bestia in the arts district, give me a nice pasta plus one of their Spritz and its a great night. I love to go out by the water, so I love to spend a nice relaxing day in Malibu Beach, maybe get a smoothie from Sunlife and walk around a bit. As for my partners, Carlos loves to go off roading, so he might take you out to the desert and go off roading, if he remains in the city he might take you to a local sushi spot one of his favorites is Iroha sushi in studio city. And Ulises loves fishing so he might take you to fishing in Palos Verdes and then some local seafood spot in south central. We all have different interests and I think that is also what makes us great partners.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As a team, we firmly believe that we’ve all put in tireless efforts to shape the current and future success of this company. My deepest gratitude goes to our company’s head founder and CEO, Carlos Rivera, whose unwavering commitment and visionary thinking have played a pivotal role in making this company what it is today. His courage to take risks combined with his optimistic outlook continue to drive our company’s prosperity.

Furthermore, we are particularly thankful for his decision to bring two young adults on board, recognizing our potential. This opportunity not only fills us with gratitude but also with a sense of honor, as it allows us to contribute our ideas and see them put into action within the company. The three of us bring a distinctive and innovative approach to the company, which is a significant factor in its ongoing success.

Website: saltaiulm.com

Instagram: saltaiulm

Linkedin: gabriela salguero, ulises tolentino

Yelp: yelp.com/saltai ultralight mdf mouldings

Image Credits
Photographer: Ronnie Fonseca People: Gabriela Salguero, Carlos Rivera, Ulises Tolentino Product: MDF Mouldings, baseboards, casings, crown mouldings.