Gifford’s Ice Cream in February started making ice cream again at its Skowhegan, Maine, plant for the first time in a year, after a fire ripped through production facilities, forcing them to rely on co-packers.

To get back up and running, the family-owned ice cream company carved out a smaller production area—roughly 30% of actual size once the factory is fully restored—and has two lines running to produce quarts and bulk flavors for its wholesale customers. Meanwhile, Gifford’s continues to rebuild its offices and larger production area.

“Nothing can prepare you for what we experienced on February 2 last year,” said Gifford’s Ice Cream CEO, Lindsay Skilling. “The damage was so extensive we had to take most of our factory and offices down to the studs. It has been a year of pivoting and problem-solving. We can say now that the path forward hasn’t always been clear. But we never questioned our commitment to coming back stronger and better than ever. We’re not at full production capacity yet, and we’ll be working hard to build our production capabilities and inventory levels over the next several months, but I can say it feels great to be making our own ice cream again in Skowhegan.” 

In order to supply its own family-owned ice cream and partner stands, as well as retail and food service channels following the fire, Gifford’s partnered with four co-packers to produce 30 of their most popular flavors, but many fan favorites, like Toasted Coconut and Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt, could not be made. 

“We can only make certain flavors here because the process we use to make some of our bases and ripples can’t be duplicated elsewhere. This is a first step in our journey to get these long-awaited flavors back into the hands of our customers,” said JC Gifford, COO of Gifford’s Ice Cream. “We’re incredibly grateful to our co-packers. We can’t thank them enough for their support last year. Without them there wouldn’t have been any Gifford’s ice cream.” 

Tell us about the fire and the rebuilding process. What has the blank slate allowed you to do differently?

On February 2, 2023, our plant in Skowhegan, Maine, sustained a devastating fire that destroyed our production area and offices. The damage was so extensive that most of the building had to be taken down to the studs. It has been a year of hard work and perseverance, but on February 3, 2024, just one year after the fire, we started making ice cream again in Skowhegan and our family got back to doing what we love.

We’re not back up to full production yet. We have carved out a smaller production area, which is roughly 30% of what our actual production area will be once the factory is fully restored later this year. We currently have two lines running to produce quarts and pints for our grocery store customers and bulk flavors for our wholesale customers. Having this smaller production space now is allowing us to make our ice cream in Skowhegan while we continue to rebuild our larger production area and our offices, which are expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Our factory was purchased by our grandparents in the 1970s. It was originally a dairy, and it was never meant to be an ice cream factory– but over the years (and with some New England ingenuity), it has been transformed into a facility that was rolling out two million gallons of ice cream annually before the fire. While you would never want a devastating event like a fire to provide the opportunity to reimagine and rebuild your production facility, we are doing just that. We are in the process of rebuilding our production process from the ground up; when it is complete, it will be a modern, state-of-the-art facility that is significantly more efficient than what we had before.

One of the most significant changes we will be able to make to our process will be an adjustment to the layout and flow of our production area. Previously, we were constrained by the existing setup, but now we are able to design a more efficient layout that optimizes workflow and minimizes unnecessary movement. This not only improves efficiency but also safety and supports our strict hygiene standards. The rebuilding process is also allowing us to integrate state-of-the-art equipment and technologies into our factory. We’ve invested in new machinery and systems that not only increase productivity but also ensure the highest quality standards for our ice cream. We’re thankful to have turned a devastating situation into one that will pave the way for future growth for our company.

One of the parts of your process that sets Gifford’s apart is the use of 1940s era Cherry Burrell freezers – how does that production method influence the final product? What are some of the challenges associated with producing ice cream using equipment from that era?

Our commitment to making exceptional ice cream drives a unique approach to how we make m – and that includes using 1940s era Cherry Burrell freezers. These vintage machines slow churn our ice cream, allowing us to achieve a level of creaminess that sets us apart from other brands. By gently churning each batch of ice cream, these antique machines create a smoother texture and minimize the formation of ice crystals, yielding a creamier end product.

Unlike modern machinery, sourcing spare parts for our Cherry Burrell freezers is not as straightforward. We are always actively looking for these machines at auctions to ensure we have spare parts readily available if we need them. While maintaining these freezers requires some extra effort, we believe the quality of our ice cream justifies that extra effort. We truly believe that this dedication to tradition and quality is what sets Gifford’s apart in the competitive ice cream market.

Gifford’s recently doubled capacity, to up to 2 million quarts annually – how has the production process changed to allow for the increase in throughput? What are some of the highlights of your production line? 

We’ve only been back at making our own ice cream at our factory for just two months now and that is what we are focused on – making ice cream and ramping up production. We still aren’t able to make our half gallons yet and will only be able to do that when we have our full production capabilities back later this year. That said, with each passing day, week, month, we expect to see production improvements and our inventories continue to grow. Our complete focus is on making ice cream and building our inventory levels for all of our distribution channels. Our commitment is to come back stronger and better than ever.

Until we’re in our new production space later this year, we won’t have a clear picture of what our total annual production number will look like. We hope it surpasses pre-fire years at some point, but it’s too early to tell. As far as what we produce, it really depends on demand. Most days we are making multiple flavors a day.

As the official ice cream of the New England Patriots and the Boston Celtics, Gifford’s has a lot of fans – and a lot of flavors – how do you approach R&D? 

Our approach to R&D is centered around collaboration, and we find inspiration from so many places. We especially value input from our ingredient suppliers, customers, and family.

Each year, our ingredient suppliers share sample concepts with us that get our wheels spinning. Most years, we’ll have tasting sessions, where we’ll rank and evaluate these samples (ripples or candies); we’ll try the ingredient with a spoonful of our own ice cream, and talk as a family about what we like, what we don’t like, and what combinations could work well together.

We’re also actively looking for feedback from our customers and fans. We receive requests and suggestions for new flavors, which serve as inspiration for our R&D efforts. Whether it’s a recommendation for a specific ingredient or a flavor concept, we take those suggestions to heart. Inspiration comes from unique places too, which is really fun! Our Uncle Roger, who is retired now, will see something or our dad, who is also retired, will taste something in a candy bar and they’ll share those ideas with us, and that will start some fun brainstorms.

All that said, the foundation of every ice cream flavor we make is fresh milk and cream. After that, each ingredient is carefully selected and must meet our high quality standards. For example:

• Fresh milk and cream from local farms that have pledged never to use artificial growth hormone
• Maine wild blueberries from just up the road.
• Juicy northwest strawberries.
• Real Maine maple syrup.
• Premium chocolates.
• The finest nuts and berries.
• Imported vanilla bean.

Speaking of flavors, Gifford’s recently committed to its first year-round pint line, with a starting lineup of seven flavors, including Spicy Strawberry Pretzel and Reverse Chocolate Chip. What’s on the horizon for Gifford’s in 2024 and beyond?

We’re thrilled that our pint project has finally come to life. We had been talking a lot about coming out with our branded pint line before the fire and this seemed like the best to explore a launch and the flavors are now out in grocery stores and will be available for purchase at our four family-owned stands in Waterville, Bangor, Farmington and Skowhegan.

Back in the Fall of 2022, we unveiled our first ever seasonal pint line, which fans loved. As a family, we know what it’s like to want your own flavors and pints give us – and our fans – a chance to explore flavors that we might not otherwise have been able to make, and do it in a fun way.

As far as what’s on the horizon for us? We’re committed to rebuilding our factory and restoring our full production capabilities by the end of the year. We are also focused on making our fan favorite flavors and ensuring that those are back in stores for our customers to enjoy. We’re also focused on making sure our new pint line is successful with our customers and retail partners. Finally, we remain committed to making delicious ice cream, fulfilling orders, and growing our family brand.

Last year was an extremely hard one for the entire Gifford’s family. While it’s something we don’t want to ever repeat, I don’t plan to forget it, and will look back on it with gratitude. I can’t imagine getting through it without our entire Gifford’s family. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of our family members, partners and our loyal customers.

This past year has been a challenging one, but we’re grateful that our family found the strength and resilience to weather this storm together. It's been an emotional and demanding journey, marked by constant pivoting and problem solving. Despite how unclear the bath forward was, we never questioned if we could come back. We couldn't be more thrilled to be back to making ice cream at our Skowhegan factory, and we can’t wait for what’s to come as we get back up and running in our brand new factory later this year.