About Us

Home Folks Wholesale was started in 1936 by Joseph J O’Connell and three partners, later during World War II one partner was bought out leaving Mr. O’Connell and his two partners. It was this partnership that started Aiken Candy & Tobacco in 1950. In 1952, one partner, Mr. Frank Burroughs took sole ownership of Aiken Candy & Tobacco in exchange for his stock in Home Folks Wholesale. HFW continued under the ownership of Mr. O’Connell and the last remaining partner, Nell Knuck until she was tragically killed in a car accident in 1957. At that time, Mr. O’Connell purchased her stock from the estate, selling it to Mr. B. Allen Morris who remained a partner for the next thirty years.

Wholesale Food Distributor in Georgia and & South Carolina In 1968, Jack O’Connell came to Home Folks Wholesale where he served in various capacities until 1981 when he became President. In 1984, Mr. Morris retired and Home Folks Wholesale began the continual process of mergers and acquisitions that led to the additional growth of HFW. In 1990, all of Home Folks Wholesale subsidiaries joined under one roof, here at our present location. In 1997, our facilities doubled to include the acquisition and subsequent merger of Wrens Grocery Company. The current management team of Don Childers, Jerry Weeks, and Miller Weeks purchased the remainder of HFW stock from the O’Connell family in 2004.