Values
- continuous
improvement - value people
- do things the
right way - customer focus
OUR HERITAGE
-
1913
South Georgia Pecan Company founded in 1913 as a small pecan shelling plant owned by the Pearlman family of Valdosta. Pearlman’s small family-operated business ran by brothers William & Sidney Pearlman.
-
1967
South Georgia Pecan Company became part of the Beatrice Food Group. Beatrice Foods Company was a major American food processing company focused on candy, snacks, processed meats, beverages, and other food products.
-
1971
Jim Worn came to work at SGP as an assistant manager in 1971.
-
1983
Beatrice was converting smaller cash businesses to fund the purchase of Hunt Wesson/ Tropicana. With the breakup of Beatrice Foods, Jim Worn and Ed Crane, purchased the company with a commitment to quality and service that has formed it into the industry leader that it is today.
-
1988
Jim Worn become President and CEO
-
1992
First pecan company to have a resalable zipper package partnering with Kroger
-
2015
Worn Family became solo owners of South Georgia Pecan Co.
-
2016
SGP builds the most state of the art shelling plant in El Paso, Texas, to be in the heart of Western supply.
-
2017
Jim Worn recognized the need for expansion and purchased the Levi Strauss building owned by Levi's corporation and which offered more than 200,000 square feet as well as easy accessibility from on a major highway.
-
2020
Jeff Worn become President and CEO. SGP Eastern Facility moved into the new Levi shelling plant in Valdosta, Georgia.
-
2021
Built a new hyper efficient bulk storage, first of its kind in the pecan industry, in El Paso
-
2023
New El Paso Shelling Plant is ready to start shelling pecans with innovative processes and state of the art building.
OUR HERITAGE
-
1913
South Georgia Pecan Company founded in 1913 as a small pecan shelling plant owned by the Pearlman family of Valdosta. Pearlman’s small family-operated business ran by brothers William & Sidney Pearlman.
-
1967
South Georgia Pecan Company became part of the Beatrice Food Group. Beatrice Foods Company was a major American food processing company focused on candy, snacks, processed meats, beverages, and other food products.
-
1971
Jim Worn came to work at SGP as an assistant manager in 1971.
-
1983
Beatrice was converting smaller cash businesses to fund the purchase of Hunt Wesson/ Tropicana. With the breakup of Beatrice Foods, Jim Worn and Ed Crane, purchased the company with a commitment to quality and service that has formed it into the industry leader that it is today.
-
1988
Jim Worn become President and CEO
-
1992
First pecan company to have a resalable zipper package partnering with Kroger
-
2015
Worn Family became solo owners of South Georgia Pecan Co.
-
2016
SGP builds the most state of the art shelling plant in El Paso, Texas, to be in the heart of Western supply.
-
2017
Jim Worn recognized the need for expansion and purchased the Levi Strauss building owned by Levi's corporation and which offered more than 200,000 square feet as well as easy accessibility from on a major highway.
-
2020
Jeff Worn become President and CEO. SGP Eastern Facility moved into the new Levi shelling plant in Valdosta, Georgia.
-
2021
Built a new hyper efficient bulk storage, first of its kind in the pecan industry, in El Paso
-
2023
New El Paso Shelling Plant is ready to start shelling pecans with innovative processes and state of the art building.
GROWER STANDARDS
“I’ve been involved and usually made our pecan sales decisions for 50 years. Jeff Worn, Brandon Stuart and South Georgia Pecan have been the best of my experience; always honest, fair and true to their word.”
Leslie S. (Les) Fletcher II
President, Fletcher Farms, Inc.
Las Cruces, N. M.
OUR TEAM
Here at South Georgia Pecan we value our team members more than anything, and we know that their work is the reason for our success.
JEFF WORN
President & CEO
BIO
As SGP’s chief executive officer, Jeff oversees the company’s corporate strategy, manages shareholder and government relations, and is responsible for forming new business partnerships. Before being named CEO in 2020, Jeff led the company’s sales, procurement and operations department’s as President and COO. He also traveled the country promoting Pecans and other tree nuts to expand our distribution channel after joining the company in 2008.
KYLE BARKER
Executive Vice President
BIO
As executive vice president, Kyle heads marketing, sales and procurement. In this role, he is responsible for developing strategies to drive sales, ensure customer service and guarantee the best grower returns. Since joining our team in 2015, Kyle has led efforts to establish the brand globally and implemented tactics to deepen existing partnerships and expand new business opportunities.
JEFF HOLTON
Chief Financial Officer
BIO
Jeff was named chief financial officer in 2011. His career at SGP has focused on overseeing the company’s accounting, financing, and financial reporting processes. Since joining the team Jeff has completely changed the way the company makes data driven decisions to ensure profitability year in and year out.
ADI JOVOVIC
Vice President of Operations
BIO
As vice president of operations, Adi has headed all operations since 2020. He oversees production at both our Georgia and Texas plants, contributes to executive-level direction and oversees service, quality, safety and expansion. Since joining the company Adi has made myriad of improvements to the way the company operates from top to bottom.
GARRET FERGUSON
Director of Sales
BIO
Joining SGP in 2021 as the Director of Sales, Garrett is responsible for designing plans to meet targets, developing relationships with clients, and evaluating costs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA from the University of Mississippi. Married with one son, he enjoys following Dallas sports teams along with taking weekend trips with his family.
STEPHEN DALE
Director, Human Resources
BIO
Steve joined SGPC in 2019 as the Director of Human Resources. He is responsible for hiring, payroll and benefits, employee relations, and worker’s compensation management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in human resources management.
PAUL JOSEPH
Vice President of Sales
BIO
A native of Valdosta, GA with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Valdosta State University. Starting at South Georgia Pecan Co. in 1983, Paul has worked in many areas of the company including Gift Shop & Mail order Manager, Packaging Procurement, and Commercial sales.
BRANDON STUART
Vice President, Pecan Procurement
BIO
Born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Brandon has been around pecans his entire life and has been buying pecans since 2008. Leading our procurement in the western United States, Brandon works closely with our western grower network ensuring we have the highest quality pecans year over year.
HUMBERTO REYES
Plant Manager
BIO
Humberto serves as Western plant manager and has been with the team since 2019. He oversees every facet of the El Paso plant and has most recently brought the company’s newest and most state-of-the-art processing facility online. In the pecan industry since 2005, Humberto’s experience combined with his leadership and management skills contribute immensely to the overall success of the team.
MARTHA DURAN
HR & Office Manager
BIO
Currently Office Manager overseeing Office Administration, Accounts Payable, Purchasing and Human Resources. Hired October 27. 2016, the most tenured employee at SWTP, having watched it grow from 7 employees to 100 employees.
NATHAN SMITH
Plant Manager
BIO
Nathan joined the team in 2021 as Eastern Plant Manager, and is tasked with building a world-class team to further enhance the company’s market leading position. He has leveraged his degrees in Chemical Engineering and Business, along with his extensive paper Industry experience to drive an innovative, performance-driven culture.