'', 1921 Planters was founded by
Italian immigrant
Amedeo Obici in
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He started his career as a bellhop and fruit stand vendor in
Scranton, Pennsylvania. Obici later moved to Wilkes-Barre, opened his own fruit stand, and invested in a peanut roaster. Obici turned peddler within a few years, using a horse and wagon, and calling himself "The Peanut Specialist". In 1906, Obici entered a partnership with Mario Peruzzi, the soon to be owner of Planters. Peruzzi had developed his own method of blanching whole roasted peanuts, doing away with the troublesome hulls and skins; and so with six employees, two large roasters, and crude machinery, Planters was founded. Amedeo Obici believed that prices and first profits were as important as repeat business, focusing his operation on quality and brand name for continued success. Two years later, the firm was incorporated as Planters Nut and Chocolate Company. By 1913, Obici had moved to
Suffolk, Virginia, the peanut capital of the world, and opened the company's first mass production plant and facility there. In 1950, the company created a puzzle called "PLANTERSPEANUTSPUZZLE" and offered prizes for that. It was acquired by
Standard Brands in 1960. In 1981, Standard Brands merged with
Nabisco Brands, which was acquired by
Kraft Foods in 2000. Kraft subsequently merged with the H.J.
Heinz Company to form
Kraft Heinz in 2015. In February 2021,
Kraft Heinz announced it would be selling Planters and its other nuts businesses to
Hormel for $3.35 billion. The transaction was completed on June 7. ==Slogans==