The Priester's Pecans Story
Fresh pecan pies. Hand-sorted pecans. Small-town Southern tradition.
Every family business has a beginning, and ours started with a handshake, a Texaco station, and a simple request that would grow into one of Alabama’s best-known gourmet pecan companies.
Roots in Fort Deposit, Alabama
Located about 35 miles south of Montgomery, Fort Deposit, Alabama, began as a small settlement during the Revolutionary War near a military ammunition depot. Over the years, the area became known for another Southern staple — pecan trees growing across the countryside in abundance.
By the mid-1930s, travelers regularly passed through Fort Deposit along the busy highway connecting Mobile and Montgomery. Lee C. Priester owned a Texaco service station that welcomed those travelers, but Lee believed customers wanted more than gasoline and roadside service. He wanted to offer them a true taste of the South.
To help supply fresh pecans, Lee hired a local man named Caesar, who gathered ripe pecans by hand from nearby trees. The pecans were brought back to Lee’s home, where they were cleaned, bagged, and sold at the station.
Then came the request that changed everything.
"Special Order Number One"
One traveling salesman asked if Lee could crack and shell pecans for him while he was away on business. Lee agreed. To fill the order, local women from the community began hand-cracking and shelling pecans from Lee’s back porch.
That special order became the beginning of Priester Pecan Company.
From the very beginning, Lee Priester believed quality products and dependable customer service mattered most. Nearly 90 years later, those same values still guide the company today.
As demand continued to grow, the small back-porch operation quickly expanded into a larger production facility. With business increasing, Lee partnered with longtime friend and businessman Hense Reynolds Ellis. Hense owned the oil distributorship supplying Lee’s station, operated a sawmill, served as mayor of Fort Deposit, and held leadership roles within the local bank.
A Handshake and a $200 Loan
Their partnership began with a simple handshake and a $200 loan — a moment that became part of Priester’s history.
The Ellis Family Builds the Business
Over time, the Ellis family became deeply involved in the business. Hense and his wife Ellen welcomed their sons Ned and John, along with daughters-in-law May and Rose, into the growing company. After Hense’s passing and Lee’s retirement, Ned Ellis eventually assumed leadership and later purchased the business outright.
Ned Ellis carried forward the hardworking entrepreneurial spirit of the family. In addition to leading Priester’s Pecans, he managed Circle E Farms and served in numerous agricultural, cattle, and pecan industry leadership positions throughout the South.
Following the same family tradition, Ned’s son Thomas Ellis began working at Priester’s as a child, helping with everyday tasks around the plant. By 1985, Thomas had moved into management, later becoming co-owner in 2002 and sole owner in 2018.
Today, Thomas and Melissa Ellis work alongside their sons Tyler, Stinson, and Taber, as well as daughters-in-law Sarah, Alison, and Grace, continuing the family’s hands-on commitment to quality, hospitality, and Southern tradition.
Around the Priester’s shelling plant, a new generation of Ellis grandchildren is already growing up immersed in the same family values and work ethic that have guided the company since 1935 — ensuring the tradition continues for years to come.
While many things have changed since those early days, one promise remains the same:
To provide the freshest pecans, handmade candies, pecan pies, gourmet gifts, and Southern specialties with exceptional care and hospitality.
From our family in Fort Deposit to yours, thank you for making Priester’s Pecans part of your traditions.
