About Us
R. Smith Nut Company is a true to self, family-owned and operated small business. See the skills and experience of our team below!
Russell (Rusty) Smith
Founder and President
Rusty graduated from Elon University majoring in Business Administration. He has over four decades of crop year experience in the peanut industry, with the last twelve years at R. Smith Nut Company.
Starting his career working in the furniture industry with his father, Rusty believes in the core values of honesty, integrity, and a competitive work ethic. He instills these values in the culture of R. Smith Nut Company. These values, combined with extensive experience, deliver reliable, high quality service to our customers.
Tina Smith
Co-founder, Finance & Compliance
Tina started her career at Brown Jordan in Production Control for the metal division of high-end leisure furniture. The next step in her career took her into law, where she was an administrative assistant with Hubert Young Properties. She entered the peanut industry at 22 years of age and has remained ever since.
Tina oversees the financial and regulatory health of R. Smith Nut Company after transitioning out of logistics in 2017.
Nick Smith
Assistant Broker
Jack Capobianco
Logistics Coordinator
Nick graduated from Elon University with majors in Finance & Entrepreneurship. He has previous work experience with larger companies such as EY and SAS. Nick has also worked for small startup companies in Durham and London. He adds valuable technical and analytical skills to the business that will complement the service that you have come to know from R. Smith Nut Company over the past 16 years.
With R. Smith Nut Company, Nick’s responsibilities involve data analysis, market research, report generation, and brokering.
Jack graduated from Belmont University in 2022 with a B.S. in Corporate Communications and a minor in Business Administration. He was a standout on Belmont's baseball team, excelling on the field for four straight seasons with the Belmont Bruins.
With R. Smith Nut Company, Jack’s responsibilities involve logistics coordination, contract management, and QA documentation.