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Bass Pecan brings nuts to Natchez, world
Published Sunday, January 13, 2008
NATCHEZ — Karren Ewing is passionate about pecans. The outside sales representative for Bass Pecan Company’s Natchez location can rattle off the 21 different pecan flavors without skipping a beat. From honey roasted to mint julep flavored, she knows them all.
Ewing is part of the company’s efforts to spread a love of pecans outside of the Southeast. Bass Pecan co-owner Andy Copeland said the company opened its Natchez location in an effort to bring pecans to the rest of the country.
“Tourism really drove our decision to locate in Natchez,” he said. “We wanted to reach people who don’t know what a pecan is or what it’s supposed to taste like.”
Copeland, who was raised in Natchez, purchased the century-old business in 2006. The Natchez store opened just a few months later.
“When we were talking about how to expand the company, one of the main things for us was having a store in Natchez,” he said. “It’s been very successful for us.”
The Franklin Street location offers all of Bass Pecan’s products, from fresh pecans to pecan divinity.
“With us you get fresh pecans,” Ewing said. “We sell only the current year’s crop. Other retailers don’t do that.”
Bass Pecan’s commitment to quality, fresh pecans is one of the main reasons the company has flourished for the past 100 years.
The company’s founder, I.E. Bass, planted his first pecan tree in Lumberton in 1906. His orchard soon grew and by 1908 Bass was selling the crop to friends and family. Just one year later, Bass Pecan published its first catalog selling pecans and pecan trees. In the 1930s, the company was mailing out more than a million catalogs across the world. The catalog not only included pecans and pecan trees, but also land for sale that was perfect for pecan orchards. Members of the Bass family guided the company until the mid 1990s.
“This company was huge back then,” Copeland said. “They mailed out more catalogs than Sears Roebuck.”
Copeland said it’s this history and success he is hoping to bring back to the company.
“The biggest thing for us is to bring back the Bass name,” he said.
Part of that effort was bringing back the pecan tree sales, Copeland said. Just like it had in the 1920s, the company again is selling the trees from its Lumberton location. Ewing said the trees can be purchased and shipped just about anywhere.
The pecan business has been good to Copeland and his partner. The company currently has three retail locations, and is planning a fourth. They also have a large catalog base and a thriving Web business. To put it simply, Copeland said, people love pecans and they always will.
“Pecan is a gourmet nut and there aren’t that many growers,” he said. “Nuts are a big business.”
Currently most of the company’s business is holiday based, but Ewing said they are trying to change that.
“Christmas is huge for us, but we want to make it a year-round occasion,” she said. “Pecans aren’t just for the holidays. You can do all sorts of things with them, from pecan brittle to pecan coffee.”
If it can be made with pecans, Bass Pecan probably offers it. The company sells pecan pepper jelly, pecan syrup, pecan pancake mix and of course, pecan pies.
Comments
Posted by NtzMom55 (anonymous) on January 13, 2008 at 3:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why did you have to locate in downtown where there is a parking problem? I even drove by Darby's a few times to get some of that great fudge but I couldn't find parking. So I went again without that great fudge. Now, I guess I will go without nuts too. It just drives me "NUTS".
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 13, 2008 at 1:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
NtzMom55,
You are not the only one that has the parking driving you nuts. Unfortunately, that is one of the downers to downtown Natchez. However, downtown is a great place to walk around and pop in and out of shops. Natchez is so fortunate to have such a vivacious and lively downtown. Many small towns in Mississippi do not have such. If the parking deters you from tasting our 100 years of uncompromising quality, order online. Any order placed before 2 pm will have their order the next day if you live in Mississippi. Yes there are shipping charges, but the shipping may be less than the gallon of gas it takes to drive from your house to the store. Hope you get to try us out.
Thanks,
Andy
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 13, 2008 at 1:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yousaywhat,
Thanks for your post. I am glad you got to experience what Bass Pecan is about...quality taste. Yes, we would love to move to a larger location. Our small store does get crowded awfully quick, especially when the boats come to town. But isn't that great!!
We are continuously looking for a larger location, but we want to stay downtown. We have more to offer than what is reflected in our Natchez store due to the size. Also, much of the crowd is busy tasting one of our many products because we offer free samples.
But fear not, because of how good Natchez has been to us, I feel certain we will find bigger and better accomodations in the near future. Please come by and visit us more often to keep up with such news or visit our website at basspecan.com.
Thanks,
Andy
Posted by NtzMom55 (anonymous) on January 13, 2008 at 2:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Walking downtown a little should not be an issue for one who is not handicap. The downtown merchants apparently only think about the well-abled.
Posted by msmama (anonymous) on January 13, 2008 at 2:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Guess I hit the store at the wrong time but I'll never step foot in there again. When I entered the store another lady was being waited on so the clerk (dark haired lady?) just looked at me. She never said hello or I'll be with you in a moment..nothing. After the other shopper left out I walked around the store 2 more times trying to decide upon items and again she never asked me if she could help or even acknowledged I was in the store. A older couple came entered the store and I was shocked at how this woman completely changed. She offered to help them...offered them a sample of coffee...anything they needed let her know! I do not shop in places that "snub" me or make a person feel inferior. No I was not dressed nasty, did not act nasty - I actually smiled when I went in! Shop in Natchez they say!!!! Not for pecans...guess I'll just go pick them up unders my own trees next time!
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on January 13, 2008 at 3:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Support Downtown Natchez!
Posted by peacerulz (anonymous) on January 13, 2008 at 11:54 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 14, 2008 at 10:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Msmama,
Sorry to hear about your experience, but I am glad you mentioned your problem with our service. We strive to provide excellent service to all of our customers no matter how you look, how you dress...nasty or not-so-nasty. I would ask that you try us out again. There are no excuses why any person should not be treated with the utmost respect at our store.
Thanks for your comment,
Andy
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 14, 2008 at 10:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Peacerulz,
Wow! Sorry to hear the disdain for our product. I am surprised because at all our stores we offer samples of any pecan product we sell. Did you sample any of the products you purchased?? I understand that some flavors are loved by some and not by others, but your dislike for even the plain/natural pecans is very unusual. Not only that but we offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. It has been our commitment to uncompromising quality that has kept us in business the last 100 years.
Thanks for your comment,
Andy
Posted by peacerulz (anonymous) on January 14, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i did'nt come in myself so i did'nt sample anything. maybe i'll stop in one day and try some other flavors. the problem with the plain pecans was that they took on the flavors of the other pecans in the tin.
you should get your sales lady to talk to all of her customers. what a shame that Msmama had to feel that she was being ignored. i imagine she left feeling pretty bad about it.
you seem like a great person and i'm sure you will see to it that it won't happen again so i'll now remove my comment.
Posted by peacerulz (anonymous) on January 14, 2008 at 12:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i'm trying!
Posted by peacerulz (anonymous) on January 14, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
they won't remove it.
Posted by stateofnatchez (anonymous) on January 14, 2008 at 7:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What's all this talk about a parking problem? The issue has always been that Natchez has a "walking" problem.
Lazy people maintain this notion that unless you can exit your car and follow a short yellow brick road to your destination, that the whole shopping experience is void of meaning.
Hope some of you feel better now that you've been able to air your moronic grieving against a locally owned and operated business via public forum instead of contacting management directly like any civil minded human being. Such recollection of trivial details has me wondering if some people require constant validation and attention to simply exist.
On a lighter, more positive note, I will now most certainly visit the establishment for additives to get my sugar cookie fix taken care of this week. And even with my limited reading and cognitive ability, I believe I can make it in and out without having to feel like I’ve been pampered. There’s another business down the road that can handle that.
Congrats Andy!.....you done good "buffalo-noggin". Glad to have you back in Natchez.
Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on January 14, 2008 at 10:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Andy, I go in Bass Pecans regularly, Karen is always nice, although sometimes she is working on something (orders etc.) and does not instantly greet customers - I have had some problems with checking out due to computer problems.
I like your pecans and the free coffee, I walk so never had problems with parking. That part of downtown is normally fairly easy to park anyway. It can get busier near lunchtime as the Planet Thailand can get busy. I know I would normally walk further to get into Wal-Mart. Odd how if there is not a space right in front of a downtown store there is nowhere to park, yet I never see posts complaining about walking across Wal-Mart's parking lot. I own a downtown business I have seen ladies drive their Cadillac just across the street in the same block. Most Natchez drivers have to have 2 or 3 spots in a row as they can't parallel park.
Posted by firered (anonymous) on January 15, 2008 at 4:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Natchez1 I think that is a lot of the problem with parking in downtown. People cannot parallel park so therefore they deem no parking spots at all. During the HOLIDAYS I went into the store next door to Bass Pecan Shop and there was PLENTY of parking on the street. Also, one could park in the Eola parking lot that is right behind the building if I am not mistaken. However, I do agree with freedom42 on the fact that there is not handicap parking downtown. This is a bit of a problem, but then again so is the people who illegally park in these spaces who are not handicapped, whether they have a tag or not. I get a little irate with that.... but off that soapbox. I have not yet tried your product Andy, but I sure have been thinking about it a whole lot since I ran in and out of the store next door to you! Can't wait to come by and sample some of your pecans!
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 15, 2008 at 4:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Stateofnatchez,
Interesting comments you have said. Come on in and cure that sugar tooth craving with a good ol' praline. Pull out a dollar and get you some water because it is tough to eat those things without getting too much of a sweet "high."
Interesting as well on the reference to the "buffalo-noggin."
Thanks for your comment.
Andy
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 15, 2008 at 4:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Natchez1,
Nothing like getting your exercise at Walmart!! Thanks for mentioning the free coffee. Everybody should stop in and taste the coffee of the day. Our four flavors are:
Amazin' Grace
Bass Southern Pecan
Mighty Mississi "sip"
Delta Blues
Thanks for the comment,
Andy
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 15, 2008 at 4:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Firered,
I do have great neighbors. Come and stop by and sample some of our products. No need in rushing in and out of stores in Natchez.
Come on in and say hello and make sure to register in our store book and get 5% off any purchase.
Thanks for your comment,
Andy
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 15, 2008 at 5:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Peacerulz,
You brought up an interesting point about the tins we sell. I do not like the fact that the flavors sometimes spill over into the other cavities in a tin and disrupt other pecans. However, I can not stand buying a super size bag of potato chips to find the bag is only 1/3 full. We instruct our people to pack our tins extremely full. I do not want a customer opening one of our tins to see that the tin is near empty.
Your point of the flavors spilling over is greatly appreciated and we will look into this issue and see if there is some way to prevent the flavors from mixing but at the same time, give you the biggest and best bang for your buck.
Thanks for the comment.
Andy
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 15, 2008 at 5:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yousaywhat,
What an interesting affair we have with computers. You love them when they work and hate them when they don't. We continue to work on all of our computer problems and yes hand written receipts are not my favorite thing. We hope that however we checked you out was superb.
Thanks for your comment,
Andy
Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on January 15, 2008 at 10:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Andy, congratulations on the stores and well done to reply to the comments on this blog.
Some business owners and public officials could learn from your example.
Some comments on the blog are unfounded and I am sure hard to take, I have talked to other business owners who have been "hurt" by some unfair comments on the Natchez Democrat blog. I think your concerns about shoppers experiences will help your business and let you know what your customers like.
However please note that some bloggers seem to hate everything and their comments should be viewed as not the norm!
Posted by peacerulz (anonymous) on January 16, 2008 at 2:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i don't hate everything and i'll be glad to try some of your coffees. glad you mentioned that.
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on January 16, 2008 at 9:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I've had the pleasure of tasting the chocolate covered pecans. They were so yummy. My only complaint is they didn't last long enough around here.
As far as the parking goes, I thought there was a parking lot off of Franklin street that could be used while shopping there in that area. The entrance would be on the right side of Franklin, just before getting to Secrets, and Bass is the next shop up the street on that same side of the road. Am I wrong, is that lot not for those shops on that street?
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on January 16, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh, btw, Natchez was already full of Nutz.
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 16, 2008 at 3:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Natchez1,
Hey we live in a free country and everybody is subject to their opinion. Nothing posted hurts. Instead, it seems to be either a misunderstanding on their part or my part. No matter, the customer is always right and we strive to make every customer the most important one that wants our product.
Anytime someone has a problem and you feel the store did not resolve the matter to your satisfaction, please call our customer service line at 1-800-PECANS-1 (1-800-732-2671). My team will be happy to help you.
Thanks for your comments,
Andy
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 16, 2008 at 3:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Peace007,
I have learned not to bring the chocolate pecans to my home. Wife and children will finish off before I even set them on the counter. No wonder the chocolate pecans are my biggest selling flavored pecan.
If anyone has not tried this delicacy, I strongly recommend you stop by the store and sample either the milk or the white chocolate pecans. Please forgive us if they are out of stock, but they do fly off the shelf. Again, I need a larger place.
Thanks for your comment.
Andy
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on January 17, 2008 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Andy are you related to the Century 21 Copelands?
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on January 17, 2008 at 9:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I received a gift basket with some of your pickles and jellies and just opened the pickles last night. They were wonderful.
Posted by ijohnson (anonymous) on January 17, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
((acopeland)) I have not had the opportunity to visit your store because I no longer live in Natchez. However, upon returning home to visit, I have placed it at the top of my list because of you. I have been reading these comments for a couple of days and I love your spirit. I like that you've just jumped right in and answered all the comments requiring clarification and showing restraint and great business sense in regards to unfavorable comments.
I LOVE pecans and almost every dish they are included in . . . some people don't. As for other avenues for sales other than the holidays, may I suggest offering your products to the large hotel chains.
I go to brunch quite often at a 5-star hotel chain. They have the best "spiced" pecans!!!! Quite a few of my friends in attendance are from Mississippi and Alabama -- with great love for pecans, too. Boy, they have to restock the pecan tray frequently during our visit!!!! ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!
Do you currently offer a "spiced" pecan? Have you considered offering any of your products to the major 5-star hotels? And, one other thought, does the store downtown that sells fudge purchase pecans from you in bulk as an ingredient in their fudge? If not, you may need to sit down with your neighbor and work something out!!!! //(*_*)\\
From all the comments posted above, it's apparent that you have wonderful products. Keep on doing what you're doing because it's working for you. I hope you're able to secure a larger storefront with lots of parking to accommodate your customers. And, I wish you continued success!
Posted by bb67 (anonymous) on January 17, 2008 at 10:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Andy,
Have you thought about getting valet parking for you store?
Bass Pecan could have the first parking service for downtown Natchez . . . you could sell a lot more of those great pecans.
BTW, I think I saw you in the store with your wife the other day. She's hot!
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 18, 2008 at 6:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Peace007,
That Copeland gang over there at Century 21 have something to do with me being on this planet.
It is a blessed connection,
Thanks for asking,
Andy
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 18, 2008 at 6:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Noneya,
Glad to know you are enjoying some of the Mickel Pickels we sell and thanks for mentioning the gift baskets.
We have all kinds of gift packages for any budget. They start out with something as simple as Mug O' Cappuccino (Bass mug with Cappuccino flavored pecans) at $14.99 to one of my favorites There Goes The Farm (just about everything we sell) around $150. Peruse our internet or visit our store for a preview.
Thanks for your comment,
Andy
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 18, 2008 at 6:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ijohnson,
Thanks for all of your comments. These posts help us so greatly in our business planning and responding to our customers' requests.
Regarding the hotels, we do plan on marketing to hotels and possibly selling our products in other stores outside of our locations. The number one problem that we face right now is quality. Currently we have our own internal dating on our packaged product, but we do not have one that others can use. If other companies re-sale our product, we want to make sure the customer sees any type of expiration date.
Also, we cannot control the tempature of our products once they go out the door. If you visit any of our stores you will notice they are a bit cooler that most. That keeps the pecans fresh in the bag. Also, in early February you will see that alot of our natural pecans will be sold mostly from the cooler or freezer. The oxidization process of pecans is nearly completely stopped by freezing the pecans allowing them to seal in the freshness for a longer period of time.
That being said, once our new crop arrives in October we either deeply discount our previous year's crop and get rid of the product or we give it to charity. We do not sell any old crop unless it is specifically noted.
As for spiced pecans, you can try our roasted salted (everyone's favorite), cajun (now this is good....also great to grill steaks with) and a mesquite (a smoke taste).
Also, no need to wait on visiting Natchez, look at us online at basspecan.com or call us at 1-800-PECANS-1 and request a catalog and it will be in the mail today.
Thanks for your comment,
Andy
Posted by acopeland (anonymous) on January 18, 2008 at 6:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
bb67,
Valet parking sounds good for another great entrepreneur in Natchez that I am sure we will assist with offering our pecans.
As for me being in the store the other day...I probably was...but in any event I will pass the comment on down to my wife to crack a smile and make her day.
Thanks for your comment,
Andy
Posted by bb67 (anonymous) on January 18, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Andy,
I heard your brother knew more about pecans, car washes, and strategic warplay than you.
Is that true?
If so, where is his pecan store?
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