A Division of
Hickory Brands, Inc.  Since 1923
Over 80 Years of Excellence

Hickory Brands, Inc., began in 1923 as the Old Hickory Shoelace Company in Hickory, NC, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Leroy Campbell, a local entrepreneur, bought the business when it was located in the old Westmont School Building.  He moved the company to the Ellis Mills building where it remained until 1971, when it was moved to Hickory Brands' current location near the Hickory Regional Airport.
In 1947, Hickory Brands had 10 employees and 60 braiding machines in 60,000 square feet.  Fendrich Industries, Inc, from Evansville, IN, acquired the company in 1964.  By 1978 the manufacturing facility was expanded by 18,000 square feet to a total of 78,000 square feet.  These would be the first of three expansions.
The next "expansion" was in terms of product offerings.  In 1987, Hickory Brands was purchased in a management buyout led by Bob Bell.   He began adding new trademarks to the company such as Ten Seconds, Griffin, Esquire, Janie, and Stinky Pinkys.
The Ten Seconds trademark of athletic cleaners was purchased in May, 1992.  This supplied a concentrated line of aerosol cleaners to the sporting goods industry.
The Griffin and Esquire trademarks were acquired in September, 1994.  These product lines have great recognition with today's consumers.
In July, 1995, the 52,000 square foot Griffin shoe polish factory was purchased.  Our liquid waxes and other major products are produced in this facility in Conyers, GA (a suburb of Atlanta).
The Janie Dry Stick Spot Remover joined our family of products early in 1998, and is housed in our Conyers plant.  Janie is sold in gift stores and specialty catalogues.  This line has a loyal following that has remained strong since its creation in 1947.
Stinky Pinkys Shoe Refreshers were added in October, 1998.  The foot refreshers compliment a superior line of athletic shoe cleaners and offer a much needed line extension.
In November, 1998, an 82,000 square foot distribution center was purchased to support our Vendor Managed Inventory Initiative. 
Today, Hickory is the sole manufacturer of both shoe laces and shoe polish in North America.