Stuckey's, maker of the "famous pecan log roll," has recently invested more than $5 million in its Georgia candy-making facility. Stephanie Stuckey, CEO, has recently revitalized her family's company. We were able to chat with her about the investment as well as its expansion to grocery stores, specialty stores, and hotels.

Liz Parker: Why did you decide to invest $5M+ in your Jefferson County, GA candy-making facility?

Stephanie Stuckey: Stuckey’s acquired a pre-existing manufacturing facility in Jefferson County, GA in January 2021. This was a strategic move to focus on making our product ourselves—for the first time in over 50 years—rather than outsourcing to co-packers. We did this for two reasons: control quality of product and decrease pricing for our customers. Since the acquisition, demand for Stuckey’s pecan snacks and treats has more than doubled. The growth has been so strong that we are in the process of investing more than $5M in expanding the Jefferson County facility. We’re committed to that area because it’s in the heart of pecan country, so we have an abundant supply of our core ingredient. We also believe in investing in a community for the long-term. The Jefferson County Economic Development Office and local technical school are our partners in helping Stuckey’s and the local economy thrive.

LP: What other products does Stuckey’s now make in addition to its signature pecan log rolls?

SS: Stuckey’s makes a full-line of confections, almost all centered around the pecan, the only commercial nut native to our country. Our products include cheecans (cheese snacks with pecans), divinity, praline, gophers (like a turtle with caramel, nuts, and chocolate), toffee, peanut butter meltaways, and chocolate covered pecans. While we’re best known for the iconic pecan log roll that was invented by Ethel Stuckey, grandmother of our CEO, the area with the most growth has been our snack nut line. We make four flavors of pecans that have been selling well in c-store, grocery, and specialty retail channels: honey roasted, maple, kettle glazed, and sea salt. Our focus in the plant expansion will be in adding new machinery for the pecan roasting and pecan log roll lines, so expect to hopefully see more of those products on the shelves soon.

LP: How did the company get into Wawa, HEB, etc. plus specialty stores and hotels? 

SS: Getting your product on the shelves is a combination of strong marketing and distribution. Thanks for our presence on social media, we’ve garnered interest from Wawa and HEB that resulted in our pecan snacks landing in those chains (note that Stuckey’s products are being piloted in a select number of locations currently). Having the access to distribution is the other key factor. We’re slowly getting Stuckey’s approved in a variety of well-known distribution outlets, including MacLean, Core-Mark, and Vistar. The specialty retail accounts are mostly leads from trade shows and our website, which has a link for retailers to contact us.

LP: In what states can consumers currently buy Stuckey’s products?

SS: Stuckey’s can mostly be found in the Southeastern States, plus Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. There’s a listing of the 68 licensed locations that are in 20 states on our website. And we’re gaining traction in other parts of the country, like the Midweest, thanks to Bomgaar’s now carrying our product. We hope to see nationwide availability in the next couple of years.

LP: Any other plans for expansion in 2023?

SS: We’ve got our hands full expanding the pecan roasting line and the pecan log roll production, so that’s our focus for 2023. As we’re able to make more product, then we’ll work to expand the sales channels. We’ve got about a year’s worth of business already in the pipeline for 2023, so we’re bullish about the future.

LP: What’s next in 2023 for the company?

SS: We’d love to focus more on innovation moving forward, ways to incorporate pecans in snacks that will appeal to a new generation of consumers. We sponsor a gravel roll bike race series and have talked about complimenting that with a signature Stuckey’s pecan power bar. That’s just one of many concepts we think is on the horizon for the pecan and Stuckey’s.