In 1953, Kenny and Jake Tarver’s father opened up a gas station/gift shop for travelers passing through the northeastern Georgia. Their father sold pecans at the store that were shelled by hand by their mother. Later, due to the increasing demand the store turned into a pecan shelling company.
When Kenny and Jake took over the business, they decided to go further with the company. The brothers started off simply with roasted and salted pecans and later taking them into the candy business.
Now, the family business produces over 35 flavors of candy with a variety of nuts, no longer just pecans. It is easy to see, with chocolate coating lines that produce 6,000 lbs in a work day, peanut brittle lines that produce 1,100 lbs per hour, and a nut square lines that produces 800-900lbs per hour, how the Mascot Pecan Shelling Co. became one of the biggest candy companies in the state.
The brothers say that they shell around 6,000,000 lbs of pecans from October to March. To check out the Mascot Pecan Shelling Co. click HERE.
