Reduce costs by buying bulk nuts Look into buying raw or roasted nuts by the pound for your grocery store, restaurant or manufacturing operation. Bulk nuts are sold with and without the shell.

I recommend:  Caromac sells mostly raw nut varieties in 1-lb. to 50-lb. cartons. Order raw, shelled Georgia peanuts from PeaNutTree.com. Start with a 2-lb. bag to sample the quality and then order up to a 40-lb. case. Buy 5-lb. and 25-lb. bags of shelled nuts from Western Mixers, Inc. This supplier has a whole, sliced, slivered and chopped almonds.

Buy packaged products from a nut wholesaler There are many nut wholesalers that sell packaged nuts, both baking and snack varieties, for retailers. Start with peanuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews and macadamia nuts. Expand into the less popular pistachios, hazelnuts and Brazils if there's a demand for them.

I recommend:  Foodservicedirect.com sells packaged nuts by the case from Planters, Diamond and lesser-known brands. You can also buy whole and chopped nuts for baking directly from Diamond Foods, Inc. Order packaged almonds by the case from Blue Diamond Growers, the largest tree nut manufacturer in the world.

Keep it natural with organic nuts Whether you are making luscious nut-filled candy or incorporating nuts into your restaurant's signature dishes, organic nuts can help achieve a positive response from customers. Organic food retailers also need a steady supply of nut products from a reputable source.

I recommend:  Diamond Organics, Inc. sells organic raw and roasted nuts by the pound. Find shelled and unshelled USDA-certified organic nuts at SunOrganic Farm. Organic nuts are completely free of salt and artificial colors.