In a small house on Curtis Street in Paris, Tennessee, a big idea erupted.  In 1947, Cedric and Mildred Knott started producing sandwiches, salads (pimento cheese, chicken salad, ham salad, tuna salad, potato salad, coleslaw, jalapeno pimento cheese, and egg salad), and pickled bologna & pickled eggs.  After getting up around 2:30 a.m. to make all the product, Cedric would go out around town and sell them to willing stores who would often display the products on their sales counter as daily fresh items, replacing and replenishing every day.  They would have no idea of how their business would expand into thirteen states, and grace the shelves of the most prominent stores in the southeast.  These areas include Tennessee, Northern Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Northern Florida, North Carolina, Southern Virginia, South-East Missouri, Northern Arkansas, Kentucky, Southern Illinois, Southern Indiana. Over the last fifty-five years, Knott's Wholesale Foods, Inc. has evolved into a full-scale production and distribution center.  All the original products that were produced in Cedric and Mildred's kitchen are still made in Paris, Tennessee less than a mile from the house on Curtis Street.  Jerry Knott is the current President and CEO.  One of four siblings of the founders, Jerry enlarged the company, and it's territories with DSD company routes distributing several well known brands in the snack food industry as well as Knott's brand products.  We are a family company that has third generation members involved in the day-to-day operations.  Our outstanding quality of our products and diligence for customer service and happiness is what fuels our continued growth.  Consistency is important to keep customers assured that our products will be the best they've ever tasted 100% of the time.  Our goal is to exceed customer expectations, and specialize in providing them with the best product that is available on the market.  Knowing the name means expecting the best! TRY FOR YOURSELF WHY OUR SALADS ARE CONSIDERED "HOME-MADE" QUALITY Our production plants is HAACP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) Certified with a USDA Inspector on site daily.  Procedures and steps are followed to the detail to ensure that food safety is an aspect that we do not take lightly.  Our inspection team analyzes every step from receiving to production to storage and beyond.  We have an outstanding reputation for cleanliness in our production facilities. We also are a distributor for: Knott's Pork Rinds and Cracklins, Stauffers, Bud's Best Cookies, Dolly Madison and Hostess Snack Cakes, Bon Appetit, Cameron's Coffee, Mrs. Sullivan's Pecan Pies, Jack Link Meat Snacks, Slim Jim, Little Debbie, TGI Fridays, and many different candy lines, bakery lines, and more. We have a 100% guarantee on all products that our salespeople sell to the stores. Being a full service DSD supplier means that we order, stock, rotate, guarantee, and service the space in the store.  That is one less space in the store that our customer has to worry about.  That means alot to our customers, knowing that our area is fresh, marketable, and making them not only margins, but MONEY! We are rapidly expanding our territory with our salad line.  For ordering information, please contact us at 731-642-1961.  We are looking to expand ordering to this web site in the future. From the Knott's family, and all their crew, we would like to wish you a great day.  Remember the next time you see a Knott's truck to wave!                                 Back

Past and Present