Business & Professional
Peanut Butter Icon
May Stick This Time
'Velvet' and jelly sandwich anyone?
Bill Carroll
founder Paul Zuckerman, is "really
thrilled" by Velvet's return. "Our whole
family thinks it's great, and we're very
elen and Norbie Zuckerman proud to have Velvet back in stores
are happy and proud. The
here. Our father would have loved it.
late Paul Zuckerman would
Velvet always was a well-respected
have been elated.
Detroit label." Norbie Zuckerman lives
Their beloved Velvet Peanut Butter
in Florida and Aspen, Colo., and works
is back at local groceries. More accu-
in commercial real estate.
rately, it has been
His mother, Helen,
flying off the shelves
now 93, lives in
since word got out
Franklin. His sis-
recently that the jar
ter, Linda Klein of
with the yellow label
Bloomfield Hills, is
and the "Velvet" let-
active in local Jewish
ters on a multicol-
organizations and
ored background had
charities.
made a comeback
Paul Zuckerman
after an absence of
died at 74 in 1986.
almost 25 years.
He was a "poor truck
0.4_ c.....p.my
Eric Bruce, a for-
driver" who bor-
peanut
mer Detroiter now
rowed $1,500 from
putter
living in Atlanta, Ga.,
a bank to launch
ice
t.ac
bought the Velvet
Velvet in a two-car
brand two years ago
garage in 1937, said
from a conglomerate,
his son. The brand
straightened out the
was so popular he
licensing rights and
expanded the opera-
Credit MoGfx Design
other paper work,
tion three times in
hired a peanut butter
Detroit, establishing
manufacturer in Fitzgerald, Ga., rented a Livonia plant in 1963. The family left
a warehouse in Westland and began
the business in 1985 and subsequent
in January to distribute the familiar
owners never really started producing
Detroit icon.
Velvet again.
"I always have had fond memories
Norbie admits his face was used as
of Velvet; they stuck with me all these
a baby in three poses to appear on the
years and I just had to bring it back,"
Velvet label next to the words "fresh,
explained Bruce, who is a marketing
pure and delicious."
research director for an Atlanta televi-
Paul Zuckerman was a well-known
sion station. "Sales really took off. I
philanthropist who "knew Israeli lead-
know it's just peanut butter, but you're
ers on a first-name basis," said his son,
really selling people their hometown
and once was national president of the
memories. I'm tired of seeing famous
United Jewish Appeal.
old Detroit brands disappear.'
Bruce, who's happy to have the
Oakland County-based Hiller's
endorsement of the Zuckerman fam-
Markets and other stores are almost
ily, is not being deterred in his Velvet
out of the first shipment and Bruce
quest by the recent salmonella out-
said a new batch of 12,000 jars is
break at another Georgia peanut plant.
being produced, "of course, using the
"We test every several jars for salmo-
same, famous Velvet recipe." Oak Ridge
nella before we proceed with mass
Market in Royal Oak and Westborn
production:' he pointed out.
Market in Berkley also carry Velvet,
"People are smart," added Norbie.
"and we're meeting with Meijer's," said
"They know the safe brands to buy. I'd
Bruce, "but Kroger and Busch have
like to get a few cases of Velvet myself."
turned us down:'
An 18-ounce jar of Velvet now sells
Norbie Zuckerman, son of Velvet
for about $3. El
Special to the Jewish News
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April 2 2009