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This Family Enterprise Institute Member is Preserving a Piece of America鈥檚 Road Trip Culture.
By: Ed Welch
Remember Stuckey鈥檚? The proud brand is on the upswing thanks to its intrepid owner,who is carrying on the family legacy and introducing theirsignature snack to a new generation.
A common sight for generations of travelers were billboards emblazoned with the big, bold Stuckey鈥檚 logo beckoning them to pull off at the next exit to sample pecan log rolls, grab a soft drink and maybe pick up souvenirs and other novelty items.
Stephanie Stuckey wants to revive her family鈥檚 brand and, along with it, the joy and fun of taking a road trip. She鈥檚 working on the comeback story of the decade, and it鈥檚 all centered around the humble pecan. 鈥淢y overall job is I am the brand ambassador for Stuckey鈥檚,鈥� Stephanie said. 鈥淚鈥檓 traveling the country talking about our story and sharing that with others鈥攁nything from family business conferences to trade shows to industry association meetings. You name it, I鈥檒l be there. I鈥檓 quite often speaking at Rotary clubs. The speaking gigs usually involve an honorarium and purchase of our product, so it鈥檚 helping drive some much-needed revenue for our team as well.鈥�
Underrated by some, pecans have a loyal following. Growing on indigenous trees found across the southern United States, they鈥檙e one of the most palate-pleasing nuts around, with a mellow, buttery taste. Whether you say 鈥減e-kahn,鈥� 鈥減鈥檆on,鈥� 鈥減ee-can鈥� or something else, the name is synonymous with delicious. Native Americans and European settlers arriving on the continent snacked on them. It鈥檚 even said that George Washington enjoyed eating them.
Stuckey鈥檚 is the creation of Stephanie鈥檚 grandfather, W.S. 鈥淪ylvester鈥� Stuckey, Sr., who started a roadside stand in 1937 with a $35 loan. Americans were becoming more mobile, and as they hit a newly constructed network of paved highways in their automobiles, all sorts of roadside attractions were springing up to vie for their attention. Mr. Stuckey generated a brisk business from selling pecans to motorists. His wife, Ethel, invented the company鈥檚 claim to fame: the Pecan Log Roll.
When the United States entered World War II, Sylvester Stuckey faced a decline in travelers because of by wartime rationing. He pivoted his operation to supply troops with his pecan snacks. After the war, America was hitting the road in droves again, and Sylvester Stuckey wanted to gain their business. He went from a small candy kitchen to a larger candy plant, which also served as a distribution center. Stuckey鈥檚 pecan products expanded, and the company rose to national prominence with a roadside empire of stores. Expanding with America鈥檚 new interstate highway system was a chain of stores that, at its peak, grew to 368 stores in more than 40 states. More than 4,000 billboards guided hungry travelers to the nearest location.
In 1964, Sylvester Stuckey sold his company to Pet Dairy Corporation. Stuckey鈥檚 was later acquired by IC Industries, a Chicago-based railroad conglomerate. Sylvester Stuckey passed away in 1977 and the brand began to lose its mojo with the loss of its founder.
Then, in 1985, W.S. 鈥淏illy鈥� Stuckey Jr., Stephanie鈥檚 father, acquired the company and focused on a smaller footprint Stuckey鈥檚 Express concept within other convenience store chains. When the economy tanked in 2009, the Eastman candy plant closed. By then Stuckey鈥檚 products were still being made, but by outside vendors.
Stuckey鈥檚 claim to fame, the Pecan Log Roll, was invented by the founder鈥檚 wife, Ethel.
In 2019, Stephanie had the unexpected opportunity to purchase what remained of the brand. At that point, it amounted to about 40 licensed locations鈥攎ostly the store-within-a-store concept developed by her father鈥攏one of which were owned by the financially struggling company. Stephanie teamed up with a third-generation pecan farmer from Georgia, R.G. Lamar, Jr., and together they purchased a pecan snack and candy plant in Wrens, Georgia. They rebuilt Stuckey鈥檚 as a pecan snack and candy brand.
鈥淎s you go from generation to generation, things evolve and you either adapt and change or quite often you鈥檙e not going to survive. For me that was multiplied because the company had lost a lot of the brand value and a lot of the magic that made the storefront model work鈥� Stephanie said.
鈥淭he biggest challenge, frankly, was trying to be profitable while also being true to what our brand legacy is. That took a lot of strategic planning and meeting with folks who I really respected. We came to the conclusion that the best way we could evolve and be profitable was to make delicious pecan snacks and candies with the centerpiece being the pecan log roll. That鈥檚 something we鈥檝e always done. We鈥檙e still
doing it.鈥�
Stephanie鈥檚 travels brought her to Greenville, South Carolina in 2023, where she was the keynote speaker at the annual conference of 91福利社鈥檚 Kim S. Miller Family Enterprise Institute of South Carolina. Since getting to know the institute and its director, Dr. Brad Bechtold, Stephanie has come to appreciate the organization鈥檚 commitment to strong family businesses and the important role they play in the U.S. economy.
Stuckey鈥檚 joined the Kim S. Miller Family Enterprise Institute in the summer of 2024.
鈥淚 think it can be very lonely sometimes trying to run a family business that鈥檚 had its share of ups and downs. Knowing that you鈥檙e not alone is reassuring. A lot of what these family business convocations do is provide that support,鈥� Stephanie said. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 strategic and very specific support with some knowledge base that you need鈥攁ccess to information and resources鈥攂ut then there鈥檚 also just the camaraderie and the fellowship that goes along with knowing that there are other family businesses just a phone call away.鈥濃��
Stephanie Stuckey looks forward to networking with fellow family entrepreneurs who are members of the Institute and taking some of their wisdom into her business.
Lately, Stuckey鈥檚 has faced a new challenge. Hurricane Helene hit right at the harvest season, impacting pecan growers and damaging Stuckey鈥檚 production capacity with power outages. But Stephanie鈥檚 determination hasn鈥檛 waned. Of the Wrens plant, she said, 鈥淲e suffered a setback with over a week of no power, no Wi-Fi and some of our team members had property damage. We鈥檙e slowly recovering. The hurricane was a reminder that we rise and fall together with the pecan growers of this state.鈥�
Despite challenging times, Stephanie Stuckey remains optimistic. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not like overnight there鈥檚 a high-five moment and suddenly you鈥檙e profitable. It鈥檚 a journey,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 always look at the trend. We may have a bad month, but as long as we鈥檙e consistently trending in the right direction, that鈥檚 what gives me hope.鈥�
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