Larry TOOMER^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}

• Name	Larry TOOMER
  Gender	Male
  HIST	NEWS National exposure: Bluffton's Toomer family featured in Family Circle magazine SCOTT THOMPSON Larry Toomer and his family have never cared much for being the center of attention. For them, it's all about hard work and serving Bluffton. So when it was revealed last week that Toomer, the owner of Bluffton Oyster Company, and his family, who help him with the business, are featured in the July issue of Family Circle magazine, Toomer said he was more proud of the national exposure it will give Bluffton than anything. "I'm proud to be a part of people from all over the country who have never heard of Bluffton before learning a little more about it," Toomer, also a Bluffton town councilman, said last week. "Family always comes first, but I'm honored that I had anything to do with getting Bluffton in a national magazine." The July issue of the magazine features the Toomers in a four-page spread highlighting Fourth of July cookouts. The article focuses on the family's annual holiday cookout. Toomer's wife, Tina, said the family was pitched by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce last June to the magazine's editors, who were searching for a multi-generational family business to spotlight. "We didn't even know we'd been nominated until the chamber told us we were chosen," Tina Toomer said. "Then about a month later, we got a call from Family Circle to come down here and do an interview." Following a phone interview, in which Tina joked that her specialty cocktail was "sweet tea," the magazine met with the family in August for a photo shoot at Palmetto Bluff. "That was an adventure," Tina said. "There was makeup, wardrobe, everything. We weren't allowed to tell anyone or put anything on social media. But now the magazine's hit the shelves. It's at Target and everywhere now." Family tradition Larry Toomer's family has harvested shellfish in the area for more than a century, moving to Hilton Head Island in 1913. Toomer followed his grandfather and father into the business, and his wife, three daughters - Jessica, Jamie and Jacqueline - and extended family members play a role. "Jessica is our manager, Jamie is in nursing school, but helps cater, and Jackie helps with accounting," Tina said. "I used to worry if the business would last if something ever happened to Larry and me, but I have no fear about it now. Without a doubt, the rest of the family would drop everything else and take over. It's just too much of a jewel." Family, Larry Toomer said, is the focus of his work. "Family is a good thing," he said. "Being able to do the work my ancestors did and to do it with my family today keeps me going. A lot of what I do is for them. so they will have the sense of heritage and those family and work values. "I've always thought Bluffton was more than good enough for me, and I want my kids and grandkids to feel the same way. Believe in the town you grow up in." And now readers all over the country know a little more about the family and a town the Toomers recall was once viewed as a speed trap on the way to Hilton Head Island. "I didn't realize personally how big a deal this was until I found out the hundreds of thousands of dollars it costs to buy an ad in that magazine," Larry Toomer said. "Now I understand why everyone is making the big hoopla." "We're honored and humbled that the chamber thought that highly of us," Tina added. "We're just normal, hardworking people. God's been good to us, and we're grateful for that and for the people here who support our business." Faces of Family Business: Larry and Tina Toomer At the helm How Larry and Tina Toomer are expanding their third-generation family seafood business with their children and grandchildren by their sides. If you live in the Lowcountry, you’ve probably heard the name Toomer before, most likely said in the same breath as “seafood.” It seems like Lowcountry locals have been recommending Larry and Tina Toomer’s family seafood business, the Bluffton Oyster Co., forever because, well, they have.  Built up by more than a century’s worth of discarded shells from previous shucking operations – and the Toomer family’s dedication – the Bluffton Oyster Co. has been open for over 100 years. Now with the fourth and fifth generations of Toomers at the helm, the seafood dynasty expanded to include a restaurant, the Bluffton Oyster Co. Family Seafood House. Larry grew up in the family seafood business. His family’s history is deeply rooted in the Lowcountry, as Simpson V. Toomer Sr., Larry’s grandfather, opened the Hilton Head Packing Company in 1913. It was an oyster house until 1928, then a raw oyster factory that remained in business until 1958. Larry’s father, Frank G. Toomer, and his uncles kept the family business alive by opening other seafood factories along Skull Creek on Hilton Head Island and the Buckingham Landing area.  Larry followed in his family’s footsteps by working in oyster factories in his early teens.  “I knew I wanted things: I knew I wanted a family, a business, and I wanted to be my own boss and carve my way in the world,” Larry said. “I had been around this lifestyle forever, and I didn’t have to go to college to do it, so I took what I had learned and bought my first shrimp boat when I was 20.” Many of Larry’s workdays are still spent on the water, while Tina handles the Bluffton Oyster Co.’s daily operations. The Bluffton Oyster Co. is best known for its namesake, as all of the market’s oysters are harvested and shucked by hand, but it also carries local shrimp, clams, mussels, crab, scallops and a variety of fresh fish.  The quality and variety of the Bluffton Oyster Co.’s seafood have earned the market a loyal following, though Larry credits much of the company’s continued success to its devoted employees and to diversifying its operations. Catering is now a large part of the Bluffton Oyster Co.’s business, featuring oyster roasts, clam bakes, Lowcountry boils, crab boils and barbecue. And now customers can enjoy a perfectly cooked seafood dinner at the Family Seafood House as well.  All five of Larry and Tina’s children have a role in the family business, but their daughter, Jessica, has been the biggest advocate for opening a restaurant since she was a teenager. Larry and Tina told her that when she was old enough to run a restaurant, they would open one. Sure enough, when Jessica turned 20, the Family Seafood House opened its doors.  “Aunt Becky,” Tina’s sister and Jessica’s aunt, who had experience in the restaurant industry, moved to Bluffton for two years to help get the Family Seafood House off the ground. Jessica’s husband, Akeem, is the chef, and her niece and nephew work at the restaurant too. Larry and Tina’s son-in-law, Michael Mocny, is the assistant manager.  Larry and Jessica agree that one of the best parts of working in a family business is the flexibility. Jessica has three children – including a 13-year-old-daughter who wants to work in the restaurant when she turns 14 – so she appreciates being able to bring them with her to work when necessary.  The downside to being part of a family business? The Toomers’ off-the-clock conversations usually revolve around the seafood business anyway, even when they’re on vacation.  Larry also serves as Bluffton mayor pro-temp, assuming Mayor Lisa Sulka’s responsibilities when she is away. Larry uses his position on the Town Council to be a voice for the May River’s wildlife and for water conservation. Larry and Tina are very active with the South Carolina Seafood and Southern Shrimpers Alliance to promote only local seafood. The Oyster Factory is an FDA and DHEC-inspected facility and works closely with its regulatory agencies on ensuring water quality. Larry and Tina’s mission is not only to continue their family’s seafood legacy but to preserve the Lowcountry’s natural resources for generations to come. All five of Larry and Tina’s children – and several of their 15 grandchildren – have a role in the family business, including their daughter, Jessica, who runs the Bluffton Oyster Co. Family Seafood House. Key Takeaways Learn from Larry Toomer’s decades of experience running his family’s successful seafood business, Bluffton Oyster Co. 1. Listen to your children. They will have better ideas about how to keep up with the constantly changing world we live in. 2. Hold your own on quality and don’t let money dilute your passion. 3. Be sure to work hard at not letting business disagreements ruin family get-togethers.  [1, 5]
  HIST	NEWS National exposure: Bluffton's Toomer family featured in Family Circle magazine SCOTT THOMPSON Larry Toomer and his family have never cared much for being the center of attention. For them, it's all about hard work and serving Bluffton. So when it was revealed last week that Toomer, the owner of Bluffton Oyster Company, and his family, who help him with the business, are featured in the July issue of Family Circle magazine, Toomer said he was more proud of the national exposure it will give Bluffton than anything. "I'm proud to be a part of people from all over the country who have never heard of Bluffton before learning a little more about it," Toomer, also a Bluffton town councilman, said last week. "Family always comes first, but I'm honored that I had anything to do with getting Bluffton in a national magazine." The July issue of the magazine features the Toomers in a four-page spread highlighting Fourth of July cookouts. The article focuses on the family's annual holiday cookout. Toomer's wife, Tina, said the family was pitched by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce last June to the magazine's editors, who were searching for a multi-generational family business to spotlight. "We didn't even know we'd been nominated until the chamber told us we were chosen," Tina Toomer said. "Then about a month later, we got a call from Family Circle to come down here and do an interview." Following a phone interview, in which Tina joked that her specialty cocktail was "sweet tea," the magazine met with the family in August for a photo shoot at Palmetto Bluff. "That was an adventure," Tina said. "There was makeup, wardrobe, everything. We weren't allowed to tell anyone or put anything on social media. But now the magazine's hit the shelves. It's at Target and everywhere now." Family tradition Larry Toomer's family has harvested shellfish in the area for more than a century, moving to Hilton Head Island in 1913. Toomer followed his grandfather and father into the business, and his wife, three daughters - Jessica, Jamie and Jacqueline - and extended family members play a role. "Jessica is our manager, Jamie is in nursing school, but helps cater, and Jackie helps with accounting," Tina said. "I used to worry if the business would last if something ever happened to Larry and me, but I have no fear about it now. Without a doubt, the rest of the family would drop everything else and take over. It's just too much of a jewel." Family, Larry Toomer said, is the focus of his work. "Family is a good thing," he said. "Being able to do the work my ancestors did and to do it with my family today keeps me going. A lot of what I do is for them. so they will have the sense of heritage and those family and work values. "I've always thought Bluffton was more than good enough for me, and I want my kids and grandkids to feel the same way. Believe in the town you grow up in." And now readers all over the country know a little more about the family and a town the Toomers recall was once viewed as a speed trap on the way to Hilton Head Island. "I didn't realize personally how big a deal this was until I found out the hundreds of thousands of dollars it costs to buy an ad in that magazine," Larry Toomer said. "Now I understand why everyone is making the big hoopla." "We're honored and humbled that the chamber thought that highly of us," Tina added. "We're just normal, hardworking people. God's been good to us, and we're grateful for that and for the people here who support our business." Faces of Family Business: Larry and Tina Toomer At the helm How Larry and Tina Toomer are expanding their third-generation family seafood business with their children and grandchildren by their sides. If you live in the Lowcountry, you’ve probably heard the name Toomer before, most likely said in the same breath as “seafood.” It seems like Lowcountry locals have been recommending Larry and Tina Toomer’s family seafood business, the Bluffton Oyster Co., forever because, well, they have.  Built up by more than a century’s worth of discarded shells from previous shucking operations – and the Toomer family’s dedication – the Bluffton Oyster Co. has been open for over 100 years. Now with the fourth and fifth generations of Toomers at the helm, the seafood dynasty expanded to include a restaurant, the Bluffton Oyster Co. Family Seafood House. Larry grew up in the family seafood business. His family’s history is deeply rooted in the Lowcountry, as Simpson V. Toomer Sr., Larry’s grandfather, opened the Hilton Head Packing Company in 1913. It was an oyster house until 1928, then a raw oyster factory that remained in business until 1958. Larry’s father, Frank G. Toomer, and his uncles kept the family business alive by opening other seafood factories along Skull Creek on Hilton Head Island and the Buckingham Landing area.  Larry followed in his family’s footsteps by working in oyster factories in his early teens.  “I knew I wanted things: I knew I wanted a family, a business, and I wanted to be my own boss and carve my way in the world,” Larry said. “I had been around this lifestyle forever, and I didn’t have to go to college to do it, so I took what I had learned and bought my first shrimp boat when I was 20.” Many of Larry’s workdays are still spent on the water, while Tina handles the Bluffton Oyster Co.’s daily operations. The Bluffton Oyster Co. is best known for its namesake, as all of the market’s oysters are harvested and shucked by hand, but it also carries local shrimp, clams, mussels, crab, scallops and a variety of fresh fish.  The quality and variety of the Bluffton Oyster Co.’s seafood have earned the market a loyal following, though Larry credits much of the company’s continued success to its devoted employees and to diversifying its operations. Catering is now a large part of the Bluffton Oyster Co.’s business, featuring oyster roasts, clam bakes, Lowcountry boils, crab boils and barbecue. And now customers can enjoy a perfectly cooked seafood dinner at the Family Seafood House as well.  All five of Larry and Tina’s children have a role in the family business, but their daughter, Jessica, has been the biggest advocate for opening a restaurant since she was a teenager. Larry and Tina told her that when she was old enough to run a restaurant, they would open one. Sure enough, when Jessica turned 20, the Family Seafood House opened its doors.  “Aunt Becky,” Tina’s sister and Jessica’s aunt, who had experience in the restaurant industry, moved to Bluffton for two years to help get the Family Seafood House off the ground. Jessica’s husband, Akeem, is the chef, and her niece and nephew work at the restaurant too. Larry and Tina’s son-in-law, Michael Mocny, is the assistant manager.  Larry and Jessica agree that one of the best parts of working in a family business is the flexibility. Jessica has three children – including a 13-year-old-daughter who wants to work in the restaurant when she turns 14 – so she appreciates being able to bring them with her to work when necessary.  The downside to being part of a family business? The Toomers’ off-the-clock conversations usually revolve around the seafood business anyway, even when they’re on vacation.  Larry also serves as Bluffton mayor pro-temp, assuming Mayor Lisa Sulka’s responsibilities when she is away. Larry uses his position on the Town Council to be a voice for the May River’s wildlife and for water conservation. Larry and Tina are very active with the South Carolina Seafood and Southern Shrimpers Alliance to promote only local seafood. The Oyster Factory is an FDA and DHEC-inspected facility and works closely with its regulatory agencies on ensuring water quality. Larry and Tina’s mission is not only to continue their family’s seafood legacy but to preserve the Lowcountry’s natural resources for generations to come. All five of Larry and Tina’s children – and several of their 15 grandchildren – have a role in the family business, including their daughter, Jessica, who runs the Bluffton Oyster Co. Family Seafood House. Key Takeaways Learn from Larry Toomer’s decades of experience running his family’s successful seafood business, Bluffton Oyster Co. 1. Listen to your children. They will have better ideas about how to keep up with the constantly changing world we live in. 2. Hold your own on quality and don’t let money dilute your passion. 3. Be sure to work hard at not letting business disagreements ruin family get-togethers.
  Occupation	He became the Mayor of Bluffton, South Carolina, on 16 Jan 2024  [2]
  Occupation	He became the Mayor of Bluffton, South Carolina, on 16 Jan 2024  [2]
  _UID	4B1457BF50424A64A42D5DED2748973A1055
  _UID	4B1457BF50424A64A42D5DED2748973A1055
  Person ID	I344334	Singleton and Related Families
  Last Modified	22 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Frank George “Captain Frank” TOOMER, Sr.,   b. 30 Mar 1928, Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina d. 9 Aug 2010 (Age 82 years)
  Mother	Mary H.
  _UID	184AD0A2D7844E5AA68BF64F1AA83476B9F0
  _UID	184AD0A2D7844E5AA68BF64F1AA83476B9F0
  Family ID	F229824	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Tina
  _UID	A913DBFBD7494C8BB223E98A3CB21BA47E05
  _UID	A913DBFBD7494C8BB223E98A3CB21BA47E05
  Children	1. Jessica TOOMER   2. Jamie TOOMER   3. Jacqueline “Jackie” TOOMER
  Family ID	F229823	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Apr 2024

  
  

• Sources

  [S31757] . [S31758] Legacy and Lineage define my Family History. [S31762] . [S31761] . [S31766] .