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VIRGINIA & SPANISH PEANUT CO. OF PROVIDENCE IS STILL CRACKIN' AFTER 100 YEARS
The Providence Journal, RI
July 11 2013
By Thomas J. Morgan
Journal Staff Writer
PROVIDENCE - A Providence company just turned 100, and that ain't
peanuts.
No, wait - it is peanuts.
It's the centenary of the Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co., founded in
1913 by Armenian immigrant Peter S. Kaloostian and operated these
days by his great-granddaughters.
Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts hosted a recognition ceremony at the State
House Wednesday afternoon and presented certificates of recognition
and accomplishment to the Kaloostian family.
Peter Kaloostian spoke six languages and worked as an interpreter
for the U.S. government. Her great-grandfather had a bit of the
wanderlust about him, said Candace Kaloostian, who owns the business
with sisters Shelley Kaloostian-Conti and Ellen Ferrara. He first
moved to Chicago, then to Lynn, Mass., and finally to Providence,
where he owned a market on Dean Street.
"Someone approached him and said he should go into an 'up and coming
business' - either cars or peanuts," Candace Kaloostian said. "It
was kind of an odd choice, and for reasons we will never know he
chose peanuts."
The business opened its doors first in Olneyville, then, a couple of
years later, moved to Dexter and Cromwell streets, where it thrives
today.
The business was passed on to Leon Kaloostian, grandfather to the three
sisters, and to his brother, Anthony. It then was taken over by Peter
Kaloostian, Candace's father, and his brother Robert, both of whom
retired recently, and who were present at the State House ceremony.
"Now finally we've got some girls in," said Candace Kaloostian.
The Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co. (the two names refer to varieties
of peanuts) predominantly does business with New England companies,
but individual customers are welcomed.
"We carry all varieties of peanuts, and over the years expanded into
dried trail mix," Candace Kaloostian said. "We make our own all-natural
peanut butter, and concession supplies such as popcorn, cotton candy,
candy apples and snow cones." She admitted that she hasn't had a
snow cone "since I can't remember - I think my father introduced that
back in the '50s. We have all kinds of seeds, snack items, corn nuts,
and chocolate products like chocolate-covered peanuts."
There is more to the simple peanut than one would think. For one thing,
it isn't a nut at all. It's a legume, more closely related to beans.
Traces of peanuts dating to more than 7,500 years ago have been found
by archaeologists in Peru.
Former President Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer.
During World War II Gen. Joseph W. "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell called the
Nationalist Chinese leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek "the peanut."
It was not an affectionate moniker; Stillwell's own sobriquet referred
to his personality.
At 100, the Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co. is - good grief! - older
than Charlie Brown.
Calendar enthusiasts will be pleased to learn that National Peanut Day
comes on Sept. 13, according to the National Peanut Board. That's not
to be confused with National Peanut Butter Day, celebrated on Jan. 24.
The board also reports that two-thirds of snack nuts consumed in the
U.S. are peanuts.
Candace Kaloostian said some of her company's original equipment
"believe or not, is still used - the peanut roasters go way back."
The company employs nine workers, several of them family members.
Peter Kaloostian, Candace's nephew, recently started working there,
representing the fifth generation.
Anchor Brand and Brown Bear are the company's two product lines.
Despite their name, Spanish peanuts are grown domestically, as are the
walnuts, almonds and pecans the company processes. Cashews are imported
from various countries. Pistachios are both domestic and imported -
grown in California and Turkey. They used to come from Iran, but 34
years ago there was a big dustup, and the U.S. and Iran aren't on
speaking terms any more. "The Iranians [pistachios] are the best,"
Candace sighed.
She said business has improved lately. "There has been so much in
the press about the health benefits of nuts, and people are trying to
buy local things," she said. Nowadays the Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co.
distributes its products at the growing number of farmers markets.
"It's mostly our peanut butter," she said. "It's really picking up."
http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20130710-virginia-spanish-peanut-co.-of-providence-is-still-crackin-after-100-years.ece#04
From: A. Papazian
The Providence Journal, RI
July 11 2013
By Thomas J. Morgan
Journal Staff Writer
PROVIDENCE - A Providence company just turned 100, and that ain't
peanuts.
No, wait - it is peanuts.
It's the centenary of the Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co., founded in
1913 by Armenian immigrant Peter S. Kaloostian and operated these
days by his great-granddaughters.
Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts hosted a recognition ceremony at the State
House Wednesday afternoon and presented certificates of recognition
and accomplishment to the Kaloostian family.
Peter Kaloostian spoke six languages and worked as an interpreter
for the U.S. government. Her great-grandfather had a bit of the
wanderlust about him, said Candace Kaloostian, who owns the business
with sisters Shelley Kaloostian-Conti and Ellen Ferrara. He first
moved to Chicago, then to Lynn, Mass., and finally to Providence,
where he owned a market on Dean Street.
"Someone approached him and said he should go into an 'up and coming
business' - either cars or peanuts," Candace Kaloostian said. "It
was kind of an odd choice, and for reasons we will never know he
chose peanuts."
The business opened its doors first in Olneyville, then, a couple of
years later, moved to Dexter and Cromwell streets, where it thrives
today.
The business was passed on to Leon Kaloostian, grandfather to the three
sisters, and to his brother, Anthony. It then was taken over by Peter
Kaloostian, Candace's father, and his brother Robert, both of whom
retired recently, and who were present at the State House ceremony.
"Now finally we've got some girls in," said Candace Kaloostian.
The Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co. (the two names refer to varieties
of peanuts) predominantly does business with New England companies,
but individual customers are welcomed.
"We carry all varieties of peanuts, and over the years expanded into
dried trail mix," Candace Kaloostian said. "We make our own all-natural
peanut butter, and concession supplies such as popcorn, cotton candy,
candy apples and snow cones." She admitted that she hasn't had a
snow cone "since I can't remember - I think my father introduced that
back in the '50s. We have all kinds of seeds, snack items, corn nuts,
and chocolate products like chocolate-covered peanuts."
There is more to the simple peanut than one would think. For one thing,
it isn't a nut at all. It's a legume, more closely related to beans.
Traces of peanuts dating to more than 7,500 years ago have been found
by archaeologists in Peru.
Former President Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer.
During World War II Gen. Joseph W. "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell called the
Nationalist Chinese leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek "the peanut."
It was not an affectionate moniker; Stillwell's own sobriquet referred
to his personality.
At 100, the Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co. is - good grief! - older
than Charlie Brown.
Calendar enthusiasts will be pleased to learn that National Peanut Day
comes on Sept. 13, according to the National Peanut Board. That's not
to be confused with National Peanut Butter Day, celebrated on Jan. 24.
The board also reports that two-thirds of snack nuts consumed in the
U.S. are peanuts.
Candace Kaloostian said some of her company's original equipment
"believe or not, is still used - the peanut roasters go way back."
The company employs nine workers, several of them family members.
Peter Kaloostian, Candace's nephew, recently started working there,
representing the fifth generation.
Anchor Brand and Brown Bear are the company's two product lines.
Despite their name, Spanish peanuts are grown domestically, as are the
walnuts, almonds and pecans the company processes. Cashews are imported
from various countries. Pistachios are both domestic and imported -
grown in California and Turkey. They used to come from Iran, but 34
years ago there was a big dustup, and the U.S. and Iran aren't on
speaking terms any more. "The Iranians [pistachios] are the best,"
Candace sighed.
She said business has improved lately. "There has been so much in
the press about the health benefits of nuts, and people are trying to
buy local things," she said. Nowadays the Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co.
distributes its products at the growing number of farmers markets.
"It's mostly our peanut butter," she said. "It's really picking up."
http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20130710-virginia-spanish-peanut-co.-of-providence-is-still-crackin-after-100-years.ece#04
From: A. Papazian