In 2019, Stephanie had the unexpected opportunity to purchase what remained of the brand. At that point, it amounted to about 40 licensed locations—mostly the store-within-a-store concept developed by her father—none 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’s as a pecan snack and candy brand.
“As you go from generation to generation, things evolve and you either adapt and change or quite often you’re 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” Stephanie said.
“The 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’s something we’ve always done. We’re still
doing it.”
Stephanie’s travels brought her to Greenville, South Carolina in 2023, where she was the keynote speaker at the annual conference of Anderson University’s 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’s commitment to strong family businesses and the important role they play in the U.S. economy.
Stuckey’s joined the Kim S. Miller Family Enterprise Institute in the summer of 2024.
“I think it can be very lonely sometimes trying to run a family business that’s had its share of ups and downs. Knowing that you’re not alone is reassuring. A lot of what these family business convocations do is provide that support,” Stephanie said. “Sometimes it’s strategic and very specific support with some knowledge base that you need—access to information and resources—but then there’s also just the camaraderie and the fellowship that goes along with knowing that there are other family businesses just a phone call away.”
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’s has faced a new challenge. Hurricane Helene hit right at the harvest season, impacting pecan growers and damaging Stuckey’s production capacity with power outages. But Stephanie’s determination hasn’t waned. Of the Wrens plant, she said, “We suffered a setback with over a week of no power, no Wi-Fi and some of our team members had property damage. We’re slowly recovering. The hurricane was a reminder that we rise and fall together with the pecan growers of this state.”
Despite challenging times, Stephanie Stuckey remains optimistic. “It’s not like overnight there’s a high-five moment and suddenly you’re profitable. It’s a journey,” she said. “I always look at the trend. We may have a bad month, but as long as we’re consistently trending in the right direction, that’s what gives me hope.”