Richard K.Ransom

Returning from WWII, Ransom went from selling hand-cut cheeses and meats at local fairs, to building an empire of specialty food stores, one sample at a time. Hickory Farms grew explosively in the early years, thanks to what was then a novelty: free samples. By the time he sold it in 1980, Hickory Farms was a $164 million-a-year specialty food business, with outlets in every state but Mississippi.