Amedeo Obici (1877-1947)
Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Founded Planters Peanut Company in 1906 with fellow Italian immigrant Mario Peruzzi. Arriving in America at twelve, speaking no English, Obici worked at a local fruit store before opening his own peanut cart. An entrepreneur, he invented new peanut production methods. Planters grew into one of the most widely distributed peanut brands; its Mr. Peanut trademark is universally recognized. Corporate headquarters was located here, 1925-1961.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Amedeo Obici arrived in America at twelve, an Italian immigrant with no English, and worked a fruit-store counter before rolling out his own peanut cart on the streets of Wilkes-Barre. In 1906 he and fellow immigrant Mario Peruzzi founded the Planters Peanut Company, and Obici's knack for new roasting and processing methods turned a humble snack into a national brand. Planters' monocled Mr. Peanut became one of the most recognized trademarks in the country, and the company ran its headquarters from Wilkes-Barre from 1925 to 1961.
Why it matters
Obici's rise embodies the immigrant entrepreneur at the heart of the American story, transforming a street-corner trade into an enduring national brand from a Pennsylvania coal-country city.
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Related people
- · Amedeo Obici
- · Mario Peruzzi
Themes & tags
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