Top 25 Food & Beverage Companies in Tennessee 2026

Leclerc Foods

Kingsport, Tennessee

Now a fifth-generation family-owned business, the company operates its U.S. headquarters from Kingsport, Tennessee, while maintaining its global headquarters in Quebec.

Savannah Food Company

Savannah, Tennessee

Savannah Food Company, based in Savannah, Tennessee, traces its roots to 1970 when Bob Hagy, after decades in the restaurant business, began producing hushpuppies from his family’s recipes. The Catfish Hotel Restaurant, still operating today, had built a reputation for its freshly made hushpuppies, prompting Hagy to build a dedicated processing facility.

Wei Chuan USA

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Wei Chuan USA was founded in 1972 in Los Angeles, California, by brothers Thomas and Robert Huang, who had recently immigrated from Taiwan and missed the authentic flavors of home. The company’s name, meaning “comprehensive flavors” in Chinese, reflects its mission to bridge cultures through food.

Elevation Foods

Knoxville, Tennessee

Elevation Foods operates from Knoxville, Tennessee, with a second manufacturing facility in Danvers, Massachusetts. The company does not publicly disclose its founding year, ownership structure, or founders.

General Mills

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

General Mills traces its roots to 1866 when it began as a flour mill in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company has since grown into a publicly traded global food manufacturer listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker GIS, with its headquarters remaining in Minneapolis.

Pack Manufacturing Co

McMinnville, Tennessee

Pack Manufacturing Co. operates from McMinnville, Tennessee, where it was founded in 1994.

Palmer Foodservice

Shelbyville, Tennessee

Palmer Foodservice, a family-owned and operated full-line foodservice distributor, has been based in Shelbyville, Tennessee since its founding in 1948 by Jack Palmer Sr. The company remains under the stewardship of the Palmer family, with Jack and Annette Palmer, Mac and Mary Carol Palmer, and Jack Palmer, Mary Carol Palmer, and Liza Palmer Gipson involved in leadership.

Southern Equipment Distributors

Collierville, Tennessee

Southern Equipment Distributors, headquartered in Collierville, Tennessee, was founded in 1929. The company operates as a distributor of commercial food service equipment, with a focus on ice cream and frozen beverage machines for the Memphis metropolitan area.

Specialty Foods

La Vergne, Tennessee

Specialty Foods is a family-owned and family-operated food manufacturer based in La Vergne, Tennessee, in the heart of Middle Tennessee. The company was founded in 2009 by Randall "Randy" Sanders, who identified a gap in the bread market for a top-quality product baked with fine ingredients that delivered a genuine homemade taste.

Tennessee Peanut Co.

Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee Peanut Co. was founded in 2019 by Jay Cleveland and his family in Nashville, Tennessee.