Family-owned Durey Libby Edible Nuts, Inc. began with family patriarch Ed Dicker in 1950 and the retail packaging of candy. The company eventually added nuts to its packaged product line, and later decided to focus on roasting nuts. Durey Libby finally honed in on what would be its specialty and increased business focus — the custom wholesale nut roasting and specialty snack markets.

Durey Libby Edible Nuts offers over 1,000 SKUs of products ranging from wholesale nuts in different sizes, cuts and quality. Wholesale nut products include nuts that are raw, oil-roasted, dry-roasted, salted or unsalted, and coated with seasoning. In addition to wholesale nuts, the company also offers seeds and dried fruits, along with a line of products including candy and snack mixes.

Wendy Dicker, President of the company, says the corporate philosophy is getting fresh products to the customer, quickly and with complete orders." Wendy says that over the years that her family's company has been in business, she has seen many changes such as, "the consolidation of small owner stores to grocery chain and wholesale clubs. There are not many specialty stores left because nuts are sold everywhere now and for some people price is more important than quality."

Bill Dicker, Vice President and brother of Wendy, points out that the family promotes the Durey Libby wholesale nuts with an emphasis on timely deliveries and prides themselves on providing the fresh-roasted items that customers need. "Quality or price is the customer's choice," Bill says.

Plans for the future at Durey Libby include an increased focus on packaging, including bags and acetate cups. In addition, the company plans for its Web site to complement its established mail order success.

Another future venture for Durey Libby will be the re-starting of a pistachio plant in California. The Dicker family expects to do more in the way of custom roasting for larger corporations, as well as packaging for mail orders, Web business and small business owners.

Bill Dicker says that the company's greatest asset is its employees- knowledge of the purchasing and processing of nuts and dried fruits. Since its origin, Durey Libby has earned a reputation for excellence through continued customer demand and distribution of products nationwide.