© Copyright 2012 Snyder’s-Lance, Inc.
1913 — Philip L. Lance, a Charlotte food broker, gets stuck with 500 pounds of unwanted raw peanuts. Instead of backing out of his bargain with the peanut farmer, Lance decides to roast and sell the nuts for a nickel a bag on the streets of Charlotte. The freshly roasted peanuts were an immediate success and Lance soon expanded his line to include peanut butter.
1915 — Lance’s son-in-law, Salem Van Every, became a partner in the fledgling business and Lance Packing Company was formally organized.
Around this time, Lance’s wife, Mary, and their two daughters spread Lance’s homemade peanut butter between two saltine crackers and the Lance peanut butter sandwich cracker was born.
The Lance product line expanded when an American soldier gave the company his mother’s recipe for peanut brittle. The peanut brittle, now known as the Peanut Bar, remains an important part of the company’s product line.
1922 — The Lance sales force grows from a single salesman, James H. Wilson, to a team of 11 men handling sales in North and South Carolina.
November 26, 1926 — After reaching a position of prominence in the community as a progressive, innovative businessman, Philip Lance dies as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident while on a sales trip.
1926 — Salem Van Every takes control of the business and the company officially becomes Lance Packing Company.
1935 — Despite the nation’s virtually paralyzed economy during the Depression, Lance continues to grow and prosper, recording its first million-dollar sales year.
1938 — Lance begins baking its own crackers and, soon after, introduces Toastchee®.
1941 — Lance employs 225 salesmen who call on merchants in 22 states.
1948 — To meet product demand in the Southwest, Lance establishes a plant in Greenville, Texas.
1953 — Lance celebrates its 40th Anniversary.
1954 — The first Lance vending machine is placed on location, replacing the earlier “honor system” coin boxes.
1960 — By this time Lance® products are sold in 24 states and annual sales volume nears $26 million. Also growing is the extensive Lance® product line.
By the end of the 1960s, Lance® products are sold in 27 states and the District of Columbia.
1974 — Inflation forces a hike in the price of the Lance snack line to 15 cents.
1980 — Due to a peanut shortage, Lance is forced to eliminate five of its peanut products including the Peanut Bar and Redskin Peanuts, for eight months.
1982 — Lance adds grocery stores to its distribution process with the introduction of the Home Pack, specially packaged products designed for supermarket sales.
1987 — Lance introduces its Helping You Snack Right® low-fat, low-cholesterol snack line, to promote healthier lifestyles for customers.
1988 — Lance celebrates its 75th Anniversary year.
1990s — Behind the scenes, Lance continues to adapt to new technology, a changing business environment and changing consumer tastes resulting in improved operating efficiencies, greater innovation and exciting new flavors.
2004 — Lance eliminates trans fats from its products.
2009 — Lance adds Whole Grain sandwich crackers and 100 Calorie packs to its product line.
What will be next from Lance?
Only time will tell, but what’s for sure is that the family like atmosphere and can-do spirit of the House of Lance is alive and well.