Hines Nut Company

What Hines Nut Company does

Hines Nut Company is a fifth-generation, family-owned wholesale distributor of nuts and dried fruit headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Founded in 1925, the company supplies grocery chains and wholesale grocers across the United States and Mexico with a broad assortment of peanuts, shelled nuts, in-shell nuts, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, and trail mixes. The business operates ten packaging lines capable of producing 45-60 bags per minute, enabling both bulk and finished packaged distribution. Food safety is a structural pillar of the operation, with the company holding PrimusGFS, HACCP, and SQF certifications and an active SQF compliance conversion buildout started in 2021.

The company generates revenue through B2B wholesale distribution of bulk and packaged nuts and dried fruit, with a just-in-time inventory model that supports customer replenishment cycles. In addition to its own branded product lines, Hines Nut offers private label packaging, positioning it as a contract packer for retailer-owned brands. Its central Dallas location functions as a logistics hub for U.S. distribution and cross-border trade into Mexico. The company is family-controlled, with Chris Hines serving as President and Cullen Hines as VP, supported by national sales, operations, and finance functions (Sue Police, Rod Gutierrez, Joyce Jablinski).

Name

Hines Nut Company

Legal name

Hines Nut Company

Website

https://hinesnutcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Hines Nut Company is a fifth-generation, family-owned wholesale distributor of nuts and dried fruit founded in 1925 in Dallas, Texas, supplying grocery chains and wholesale grocers across the United States and Mexico with branded and private label products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Nut and Dried Fruit Sales: Hines Nut Company generates revenue through B2B wholesale distribution of edible tree nuts, peanuts, and dried fruits to grocery chains and wholesale grocers. The company offers products in various packaging formats including pouches, foam trays, clamshells, pillow packs, and private label options. Revenue is transactional, driven by purchase orders from wholesale customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Hines Nut Company is a 5th generation, family-owned wholesale distributor founded in 1925 that supplies edible tree nuts, peanuts, and dried fruits to grocery chains and wholesale grocers across the United States and Mexico. The company operates 10 packaging lines producing pouches, foam trays, clamshells, and pillow packs, and offers private label packaging options to its B2B customers.

Product overview

Hines Nut Company is a wholesale food supplier offering a portfolio of nut and dried fruit products organized into four main sales sheet categories: Peanuts (in-shell salted, roasted, and raw varieties), Shelled Nuts (pouches and value-sized bulk packaging), InShell Nuts (bulk and packaged), and Snacks including dried fruit, sunflower seeds, and nut & fruit trays. The company provides multiple packaging options including pouches, foam trays, clamshells, and pillow packs, and offers private label services for grocery chains and wholesale grocers throughout the United States and Mexico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• InShell Salted Peanuts Salted in-shell peanuts packaged for wholesale distribution to grocery chains and wholesale grocers.
• InShell Roasted Peanuts Roasted in-shell peanuts packaged for wholesale distribution to grocery chains and wholesale grocers.
• InShell Raw Peanuts Raw in-shell peanuts packaged for wholesale distribution to grocery chains and wholesale grocers.
• Shelled Nut Pouches Shelled nuts including almonds, cashews, and pecans packaged in pouches for wholesale distribution.
• Value Sized Shelled Nuts Bulk quantity shelled nuts in value-sized packaging for wholesale distribution.
• InShell Nuts Various nuts in their shells including walnuts and pecans packaged for wholesale distribution.
• Bulk InShell Nuts Bulk quantity in-shell nuts including walnuts and pecans for wholesale distribution.
• Sunflower Seeds Sunflower seeds packaged for wholesale distribution in the snacks category.
• Dried Fruit Dried fruits packaged for wholesale distribution in the snacks category.
• Shelled Nut & Fruit Tray Pre-packaged tray combining shelled nuts and dried fruit for wholesale distribution.
• Private Label Packaging Customizable private label packaging service in pouches, foam trays, clamshells, and pillow packs for wholesale customers seeking their own branded products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 pack lines averaging 45-60 bags per minute
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Lancaster Colony: Diversified specialty food manufacturer (dressings, sauces, frozen breads, snacks) selling to grocery and foodservice. Broader incumbent in packaged food retail/wholesale with overlapping customer base and private-label capabilities.

Direct peers

• Sahale Snacks: Branded trail mix and nut/fruit snack company sold in grocery and club channels. Direct comparable to Hines' dried fruit, sunflower seed, and nut/fruit tray product lines sold wholesale to grocery.
• Sun-Maid Growers: Grower-owned cooperative selling dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc.) and snack products through grocery retail and wholesale. Comparable to Hines as a dried fruit supplier in grocery channels.
• Fisher Nut Company: Regional nut packager and distributor (acquired by JBSS) serving grocery and foodservice with shelled nuts and snacks. Closest size and model analog to Hines as a wholesale nut supplier serving grocery chains.
• Diamond Foods: Branded and private-label nut snacks company with retail grocery distribution of packaged nuts, trail mixes, and popcorn. Directly comparable to Hines' wholesale grocery distribution of shelled nuts, in-shell nuts, and dried fruit.
• Star Snacks Co. Private-label and branded nut/snack packager selling in-shell peanuts, mixed nuts, and snacks to grocery and mass channels. Directly comparable in product portfolio, private-label capability, and wholesale grocery customer base.
• John B. Sanfilippo & Son: Public nut snacking and ingredient company (Fisher Nuts, Orchard Valley Harvest, Squirrel Brand) selling packaged tree nuts, peanuts, and dried fruit to grocery and wholesale channels. Closest direct competitor to Hines in product mix, packaging formats, and B2B retail/wholesale distribution model.
• Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds: Vertically integrated grower and packager of pistachios and almonds selling through grocery retail and wholesale channels. Comparable to Hines as a major nut supplier with branded and private-label retail relationships.
• TreeHouse Foods: Large private-label food manufacturer serving grocery and foodservice with snacks, nuts, and dried fruit among many categories. Comparable as a private-label snack/nut packager targeting retail grocery chains, though at significantly greater scale and product breadth.
• Blue Diamond Growers: Almond grower cooperative with branded and private-label packaged almond products in grocery and wholesale. Direct peer in packaged nut wholesale to grocery chains, including the same flexible packaging and private-label categories Hines operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hines Nut Company