Business: Tom’s Peanuts

On the New York Curb is listed the stock of a company engaged in manufacturing patented egg-containers. Another operates whaling vessels. Others make camel’s hair goods, fountain pens, soft drinks, clocks, sheets, bathing suits. But never until last week was a company, devoted entirely to peanuts, represented upon a New York stock market. The peanut came to Wall Street with the listing on the Curb of Tom Huston Peanut Co.

Guiding this young (incorporated in 1928) company’s affairs is its creator, youngish Tom Huston, publicized as “The Farmer Boy Who Became Peanut King.” It would be a mistake to call Peanut King Huston “Thomas,” for like Republic Steel’s Tom Girdler he is simply, proudly Tom. The bronze nameplate on his desk bears only the three-letter word: TOM. The company points out that this is very expressive of his character.

Tom Huston learned about peanuts in Texas. He saw so many of them on his father’s farm that a weaker man in his position might have hated the sight of them, turned to other things. But Tom Huston explains: “It wasn’t the goobers I hated so much as it was the shelling.”

To make shelling less arduous, he invented a machine to do the job. found there was no money in selling the machine because it was so perfect that there was no replacement business. So he turned to the confectionery field, wherein are his company’s activities.

The brands of Tom Huston Peanut Co. are many. They are: Tom’s Toasted Peanuts, Tom’s Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Tom’s Chocolate Peanuts, Tom’s Cocoanut Bar, Tom’s Harvest Time, Tom’s Peanut Plank, Tom’s High Roller, Tom’s Spun Gold, Tom’s Gold Bar, Tom’s Peanut Bar.

Turning out about $2,500,000 worth of peanut products a year, selling them to some 75,000 retail outlets, the company has prospered. Last year it earned $407,000. Its common stockholders total 225; preferred, 175.

These figures give verity to the Tom Huston slogans: “They Make Hunger a Joy,” “Millions Gone Nutty over Tom’s Toasted Peanuts.”