By Brenda Eubanks Burnette
I was driving past the Latt Maxcy Corporation recently and found myself remembering when I first met Pat and Patricia Wilson. Pat carried a quiet authority — steady and observant, with a twinkle in his eyes. But the person who truly commanded the room was his petite wife, Patricia. Her energy and determination were unmistakable, and I became a fan almost instantly. Together, they were a genuine power couple, deeply committed to the land, the citrus industry and the legacy built by her father, Latimer “Latt” Maxcy. They didn’t just preserve that legacy — they lived it, loved it and passed it on to their children, who continue that work today.
The Latt Maxcy Corporation traces its origins to the early vision of Latt Maxcy, born in 1887 in Columbia, South Carolina. The company website recounts that his introduction to the Frostproof area came during a 1904 camping trip. After a severe statewide freeze, he noticed that crops around Lake Reedy remained unharmed. Convinced of the area’s potential, he persuaded his father, James Gregg Maxcy, to purchase land on the lake’s south side and plant citrus trees. That decision marked the beginning of a lifelong commitment to Florida agriculture.
Maxcy’s work ethic was established early. At age 9, he earned 35 cents a day as a water boy in the phosphate mines, eventually learning to operate heavy machinery. He later applied those skills in the Northeast, saving enough to invest in citrus land of his own. In 1914, at age 27, he returned permanently to Frostproof, where he planted groves, harvested fruit, hauled it to packinghouses and began buying fruit from other growers. His growing involvement in packing operations led him to acquire an interest in a local packinghouse, which he sold in 1917 to the Florida Citrus Exchange (now Seald Sweet). He then founded the Lake Reedy Packing Company, reorganizing it in 1925 as L. Maxcy, Inc.
During the 1920s, Maxcy expanded into banking, joining 20 local businessmen to establish the Citizens Bank of Frostproof. But citrus remained his primary focus. By 1931, he owned and operated Frostproof’s largest fresh‑fruit packinghouse, along with an expanding citrus canning and juice plant. He was an early pioneer in citrus processing, adding a pulp mill that made his operation one of the most complete citrus facilities in the state.
The 1940s and 1950s brought major improvements in canned and bottled citrus products, and Maxcy’s brands — Silver Nip and Golden Nip — became known for quality and consistency. His leadership extended beyond his own company. He originated the idea for Florida Citrus Mutual, the statewide grower organization, and served as its first president in 1948.
In 1949, Clinton Foods, Inc. purchased the citrus holdings of L. Maxcy, Inc. Maxcy was asked to lead all Florida operations for the company’s Snow Crop brand and succeeded in making it profitable. When Snow Crop was sold to Minute Maid in 1956, he returned his office to the former Maxcy’s Garage building at 33 E. Wall Street in Frostproof. Along the way, he also assembled a large cattle operation — eventually totaling 150,000 acres known as El Maximo Ranch — although citrus remained central to his identity.
Latt Maxcy was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 1971. After his death later that year, his son‑in‑law, Peyton “Pat” Wilson, became president and chairman of the Latt Maxcy Corporation and Citizens Bank & Trust. Wilson expanded the company’s agricultural holdings, strengthened its citrus operations and introduced new practices in both citrus and cattle management. He was inducted into the Hereford Hall of Fame in 2008 and helped establish the Florida Land Council, giving major landowners a unified voice in statewide policy discussions. Patricia contributed as well, serving as president of the Maxcy Foundation and Pat Wilson, Inc., and as a board member of the corporation.
Beginning in 1997, the corporation sold portions of its ranch land to the state of Florida and later to private developers, initiating a period of diversification into commercial real estate. By 2006, cattle operations were discontinued, but citrus production remained a core focus.
Dean Saunders, who advised the family on land sales, noted, “The fact that Mr. Maxcy started out with 80 acres and built an empire from the Kissimmee River to Vero Beach still amazes me.”
Following Pat Wilson’s passing in 2008, leadership transitioned to Maxcy’s grandchildren. Latimer “Coot” Wilson and Clayton G. Wilson oversee day‑to‑day operations, with Clay serving as vice president of the citrus division and chairman of the board, and Coot overseeing ranch and land operations while chairing Citizens Bank & Trust. Cynthia Wilson Henry and Patricia “Jinx” Wilson Chaney serve as officers of the Maxcy Foundation and as board members for both the corporation and the bank.
Today, their commitment to land stewardship, citrus production and diversified real estate holdings reflects more than a century of continuous family leadership rooted in Florida’s citrus heritage.
Brenda Eubanks Burnette is the former executive director of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame and is currently president of the board of Vero Heritage, Inc., which operates The Heritage Center and Indian River Citrus Museum in Vero Beach, Florida.
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