NAICS 311911 Quarterly Industry Report
Roasted Nuts and Peanut Butter Manufacturing
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 311911Sector: 31Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 311911 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing roasted nut and peanut butter manufacturing businesses. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[7], U.S. Census Bureau[8].. Data is sourced from FDA[6] food safety and allergen regulations, USDA[9] agricultural production data, and SBA size standards[10] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for nut processing enterprises.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the roasted nuts and peanut butter manufacturing industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Roasted Nuts and Peanut Butter Manufacturing (NAICS 311911) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in salting, roasting, drying, cooking, or canning nuts, processing grains or seeds into snacks, and manufacturing peanut butter and other nut butter products. Operations include raw nut receiving, blanching, roasting, seasoning, oil roasting, dry roasting, nut butter grinding, and consumer packaging for retail grocery, convenience store, club store, and foodservice distribution. The U.S. Census Bureau[5] classifies roasted nut and peanut butter manufacturing separately from confectionery manufacturing (NAICS 311340) and other snack food production (NAICS 311919).
The U.S. nut snack and nut butter market generates billions in annual retail sales, driven by consumer demand for protein-rich, heart-healthy snacking options and the expansion of almond butter, cashew butter, and specialty nut butter varieties beyond traditional peanut butter. The FDA[6] regulates nut product labeling, allergen declarations (tree nuts and peanuts are among the top eight allergens), and food safety standards governing nut roasting and grinding operations. Premium, organic, and flavored nut products command pricing premiums that have attracted new brand entrants and private-label growth.
Business valuations for roasted nut and peanut butter manufacturers focus on raw nut procurement relationships and commodity hedging, roasting and grinding equipment capacity, brand portfolio strength within retail snack categories, and distribution breadth across grocery, convenience, and club store channels. Appraisers evaluate roasting line throughput, nut yield rates, packaging line versatility across cans, jars, bags, and single-serve formats, and the competitive dynamics between major national nut brands, specialty and organic producers, and growing private-label market share.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for roasted nut and peanut butter manufacturing operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across roasted peanuts, mixed nuts, peanut butter, almond butter, specialty nut butters, and flavored nut segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 311911
- Comparable transaction data from recent nut processing company acquisitions, nut butter brand sales, and production facility transactions
- Market analysis covering nut snack consumption trends, nut butter category growth, premium and organic expansion, and health-driven protein snack demand
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for roasting operators, nut butter grinders, packaging line workers, quality control technicians, and warehouse staff
- Industry risk assessment including raw nut commodity price volatility, tree nut crop variability, allergen management liability, and competitive pricing dynamics
- Regulatory compliance overview covering FDA allergen labeling for tree nuts and peanuts, FSMA preventive controls, and food safety standards for nut processing
- Capital expenditure profiles for roasting ovens, blanching equipment, grinding mills, packaging lines, metal detectors, and bulk nut storage facilities
- Production metrics including pounds roasted per shift, nut butter yield rates, packaging line speeds, allergen control compliance, and cost per unit benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Food Manufacturing | 311 |
| Industry Group | Other Food Manufacturing | 3119 |
| NAICS Industry | Snack Food Manufacturing | 31191 |
| National Industry | Roasted Nuts and Peanut Butter Manufacturing | 311911 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 311919 | Other Snack Food Manufacturing | Other snack food manufacturing operations producing complementary snack products like trail mixes, snack bars, and chips that share retail snack aisle placement |
| 311340 | Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing | Nonchocolate confectionery manufacturers producing candy-coated nuts, pralines, and nut-based confections using roasted nuts as primary ingredients |
| 311821 | Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing | Cookie and cracker manufacturers purchasing roasted nuts and nut pieces as inclusion ingredients for cookies, crackers, and baked snack products |
| 424480 | Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers | Fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers handling raw tree nut crops from orchards to processing facilities during harvest season procurement |
| 424490 | Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers | Other grocery product wholesalers distributing packaged roasted nuts and nut butter products to retail grocery, convenience, and specialty food stores |
| 445110 | Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) | Supermarkets and grocery retailers stocking roasted nut snacks in snack aisles and nut butter products in peanut butter and spreads sections |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 29.5% | 72 |
| 2 | Texas | 9.0% | 22 |
| 3 | Georgia | 5.7% | 14 |
| 4 | New York | 4.1% | 10 |
| 5 | Oregon | 4.1% | 10 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 3.7% | 9 |
| 7 | Ohio | 3.7% | 9 |
| 8 | New Jersey | 3.7% | 9 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 3.7% | 9 |
| 10 | Illinois | 3.3% | 8 |
% Of Establishments
0%
30%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
32
Total SBA Loans
$11.2M
Total Loan Volume
$350K
Average Loan Size
14 yrs
Average Loan Term
10.69%
Average Interest Rate
248
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: The SBA[11] classifies Roasted Nuts and Peanut Butter Manufacturing (NAICS 311911) with a size standard of 1,000 employees. Nut processing companies within this threshold qualify for SBA-backed lending[12] and government contracting preferences supporting production capacity expansion and brand development investment. Eligible businesses can access SBA 7(a) loans[13] for working capital, equipment, and acquisition financing, while 504 loans[14] support major fixed-asset purchases including real estate and heavy machinery.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zions Bank, A Division of | 8 | $7.2M | $899K |
| 2 | TD Bank, National Association | 8 | $2.0M | $250K |
| 3 | BayFirst National Bank | 8 | $1.2M | $150K |
| 4 | Lendistry SBLC, LLC | 8 | $822K | $103K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for nut processing?
Roasted Nuts and Peanut Butter Manufacturing is classified under NAICS code 311911, covering nut roasting and nut butter production per the U.S. Census Bureau[5] industry classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for nut manufacturing?
The SBA[11] sets the size standard for NAICS 311911 at 1,000 employees, qualifying eligible nut processors for small business lending programs and government contracting preferences.
How are nut processing businesses valued?
Valuations focus on roasting capacity, raw nut procurement relationships, brand strength, distribution breadth, and product mix per USDA[9] agricultural and nut crop production data.
What products does NAICS 311911 cover?
Products include roasted peanuts, mixed nuts, cashews, almonds, peanut butter, almond butter, and specialty nut butters per U.S. Census Bureau[5] product classification definitions.
What is driving nut butter market growth?
Growth is driven by consumer demand for protein-rich spreads, expansion beyond peanut butter into almond and cashew butters, clean-label natural formulations, and health-conscious snacking trends.
What risks affect nut processing operations?
Major risks include raw nut commodity price volatility from crop variability, allergen management liability, food safety recall exposure, private-label pricing pressure, and import competition.
What allergen regulations apply to nut products?
The FDA[6] mandates allergen labeling for tree nuts and peanuts as top-eight allergens, requiring clear declarations on packaging and cross-contamination prevention in manufacturing facilities.
How important is raw nut procurement?
Raw nut procurement costs represent the largest expense, with peanut, almond, and cashew prices subject to crop yield variability, weather events, and global trade dynamics affecting manufacturer margins.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]FDA fda.gov
- [7]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [8]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [9]USDA usda.gov
- [10]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [11]SBA sba.gov
- [12]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [13]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [14]504 loans sba.gov
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