Merchants Distributors, 5001 Alex Lee Blvd, Hickory, NC 28601, US

Tropical Nut & Fruit is a food manufacturer, importer and distributor of bulk and packaged snacks and specialty foods. Founders Jerry York and Garland Williamson opened the first Tropical office in 1977 in Orlando, Fla. The company began with approximately 100 items consisting mostly of snack mixes, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, a few candies, beans, grains and flours. Its primary customers were health food stores, hotels and grocery stores. Its product line has grown to more than 3,000 items. It also has four Nut House retail outlets located in Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Columbus, Ohio; and Memphis, Tenn. The company ships products anywhere in the United States from locations in Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbus, Dallas, Memphis, Orlando and Washington, D.C. Its production plants manufacture roast nuts and seeds daily and blend more than 50 bulk snack mixes. These facilities also package and rebox many items to meet customers' varied needs. Tropical Nut & Fruit maintains a location in Charlotte.