In the Late 1940's Leon
Jacobson and Ed Deleery formed a cigar and candy company located in
Alexandria with a warehouse of 2000 square feet. Taking the "Lee" from
Leon's name and the "Dee" from Deleery's name, they named the company.
In the seventies they began selling their interests.
In 1978 W.M. Hale, a
former salesman with Lee-Dee (1946), purchased Lee Dee and moved it to
its present location on 9th Avenue in Lake Charles, LA. In the early '80's, he added another
portion to the building with an additional 5,000 square feet. Lee Dee
has been in business for 67 years and is still owned by the Hale family.
