In 1976, Unanue was named president of the company, whose principal base of operations was by then in New Jersey. His brother Frank ran Goya de Puerto Rico, Inc., located in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Under Joseph's leadership, the company became the largest Hispanic–owned food distributor in the United States, with sales of over $800 million a year and with over 2,000 employees. Goya Foods grew to have more than a dozen facilities in the continental United States, while affiliated companies operate in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Spain.