Who Doesn`t Love An Ice Cream Party?

OUR
story
In the Beginning
The story of Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream goes back to the late
1800s, when an industrious young man named Nathaniel Main
from Pawcatuck, Connecticut, started a home delivery milk and
ice cream business from the back of his horse-drawn wagon.
Fifteen years later, Nathanial’s oldest son, Chester, got involved
in the family business. Eventually, Chester’s daughter, Audrey,
married her college sweetheart Randall Gifford and together they
forged a splendid path that led to Skowhegan, Maine, and to the
birth of Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream.
Moving to Maine
Randall and Audrey shared a common love of family and life’s
simple pleasures that remains at the core of the family business
today. They also grew up in the dairy business and from early on,
were steeped in the tradition of delicious old-fashioned ice cream.
After running a small milk business and ice cream shop for 17
years, they pulled up roots and moved to Randall’s home state
of Maine…bringing their passion for ice cream right along with
them. They purchased a small dairy in Farmington in 1971, and
three years later purchased another dairy in Skowhegan, where
the Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream plant remains today.
The family began creating small batches of creamy ice cream
using Audrey’s parents’ recipes for strawberry, peach, wild
blueberry, and coffee. The first seasonal ice cream stand was
opened in Skowhegan, followed by another in Farmington.
Eventually, Randall and Audrey sold the milk portion of the
World-class ice cream
from a small town in Maine
dairy business to Oakhurst Dairy. Their sons Roger and John
took over the ice cream portion of the business and transformed
the milk plant into a world-class ice cream factory.
It quickly became clear that Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream was
something truly special. Made with fresh milk and cream from
local dairy farms, it had that old-fashioned, rich flavor that won
the hearts of children and families alike. At the time, the business
was making 10,000 gallons annually with a core of six determined
employees. Eventually, Roger and John started to introduce the ice
cream to a broader audience. In 1987, they carried their product
across state lines and, over time, added three more ice cream
stands in Bangor, Waterville and Auburn.
Gifford’s Today
Today, Gifford’s sells 1.7 million gallons of ice cream each year and
serves more than one million cones each summer from five familyowned and operated stands. The company offers 100 unique ice
cream flavors, frozen yogurts, sherbets, and sorbets. The ice cream
can be found in grocery stores, independent ice cream shops,
colleges, universities and restaurants all the way from Maine to
the Mid Atlantic, to the Mid-West and as far West as Nevada.
When you have five generations of ice cream making history behind
every flavor, it’s no wonder that Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream has
received its share of national and international awards. But perhaps
most importantly, Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream brings you back to
those carefree days when your only worry was how many more
days until summer. It’s why we like to say our ice cream is a
vacation from the every day.
FIVE
Generations
of ice cream makers
1st Generation – Late 1800s
Nathaniel Main starts in the dairy business.
2nd Generation – 1915
Nathaniel’s son Chester gets involved in his father’s business.
3rd Generation – 1947
Chester’s daughter Audrey Main marries her college sweetheart, Randall
Gifford. Eventually, they bring their ice cream recipes and their dairy industry
knowledge to Randall’s home state of Maine.
4th Generation – 1970s-1980s
Audrey and Randall’s children, Arland, Donna, Roger and John, join the
business. John and Roger purchase the company from their parents and
decide to focus on ice cream.
5th Generation – 1990s-2010s
Ryan, JC, Lindsay, and Samantha come on board, and are the new
generation of Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream Family.
Company Timeline
Making ice cream since people had iceboxes
Late 1800s
Our great-grandfather, Nathaniel Main, starts
a home delivery milk and ice cream business
in Connecticut with a horse-drawn wagon.
1913
Refrigerators for home and domestic use
are invented in Indiana. Freezers develop
soon after.
1915
Nathaniel’s son Chester joins his father’s
milk and ice cream business.
1947
Audrey – Chester’s daughter and Nathaniel’s
granddaughter – marries Randall Gifford,
her college sweetheart, who hails from
Portland, Maine.
1970s
1980
1983
The first Gifford’s ice cream stand opens in
Skowhegan. Followed two years later by a
second stand in Farmington.
The milk portion of the Gifford’s dairy business is
sold to Oakhurst Dairy. John and Roger purchase
the ice cream business from their parents.
1987
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Randall and Audrey move to Maine with
their four children Arland, Donna, Roger
and John. They purchase a dairy in Farmington
and eventually another dairy in Skowhegan where
the Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream factory remains today.
2006
Gifford’s opens their third ice cream stand in
Bangor. Two years later, Gifford’s purchases the
former Rummel’s Ice Cream stand and mini-golf
in Waterville. After a thorough remodel, it becomes
the company’s fourth ice cream stand.
Gifford’s opens its fifth ice cream stand in Auburn.
Gifford’s expands into Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia with
the purchase of Gifford’s Ice Cream & Candy Co.
2012 L.L. Bean chooses Gifford’s to make Muddy
Bean Boots – a special edition ice cream for
its 100th anniversary.
2013
2014
ifford’s launches the Outdoor Adventure
G
Series – a new line of six ice creams
inspired by Maine’s great outdoors.
Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream Truck begins
rolling with the Good Times Ice Cream Tour
sampling award-winning ice cream in
Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
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Today’s
Leaders
Lindsay Gifford-Skilling
General Manager, Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream
Lindsay Gifford-Skilling is not quite sure when it all started. She
remembers from a young age, her dad would bring home old
office supplies and she’d play “Gifford’s” with her friends –
pretending to take orders from distributors and filling out
paperwork. “I was young,” she says laughing, “but I loved
everything about the company.”
At 31, Lindsay is still young by most measures, but her role today
has grown to that of mom, wife, and general manager at Gifford’s
Famous Ice Cream. She is part of a small legion of women in Maine
who are running mid-sized businesses. With a staff of 35 year-round
“ ...we are taking it to the next
level to make our grandparents
and parents proud.”
employees and sales of 1.7 million gallons of ice cream a year, her role includes oversight of operations, staff, five
seasonal ice-cream stands, and an ice cream factory in Skowhegan that produces 100 flavors and distributes to
hundreds of retail locations from Maine to Virginia to Nevada.
“I am incredibly lucky to have my family at my side helping in the operation of this business,” says Lindsay. “We
do this together.” She is quick to add that without the support of her family, the Gifford’s team, and most of all her
husband Jay, she would not be able to juggle the demands of being a mom and a company leader.
For Lindsay, the current challenges of managing Gifford’s are minor compared to the company’s hardscrabble
beginnings. Lindsay’s dad John and her uncle Roger started Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream on a shoestring. “There
were a lot of restless nights in those early years when the company had to struggle to make payroll and pay its
debts.” Roger and John, the fourth generation ice-cream makers, risked it all when they purchased the ice cream
portion of the dairy business from their parents and went full-steam into ice cream. For Lindsay and her siblings,
every detail of these company particulars matter.
World-class ice cream
from a small town in Maine
Eventually the company took root and solidified, and when
Lindsay returned to Skowhegan, business degree in hand
(with a minor in psychology) she started working for the
company and eventually worked her way up to vice president
of sales and marketing. “I quickly realized that I was in a
male-dominated industry,” she confesses. “It was a little nerve
wracking to be in sales calls with men who were my uncle’s
and father’s ages. I often felt like I had pulled the wool over
their eyes and it was only a matter of time before they figured
out I had no idea what I was doing,” she says laughing. But
Family
Lindsay had more understanding of business than she gave
herself credit for.
She worked hard to prove herself, and eventually she began to trust her instincts and the genetic inheritance
that came with being a fifth generation ice-cream maker. Today, as general manager, Lindsay intentionally
seeks a healthy work/home balance, and tries to set an example for others. After she gave birth to her daughter
Ava, she took 12 weeks of maternity leave, and while she arrives at the factory most days at 6 a.m., she also
keeps a home office, so she can be there some days when Ava wakes up. “There are a lot of young moms
in the office, I want to be a role model for them too,” she says.
As a leader, Lindsay doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. “It helps to have a large family around me with
deep experience. I can’t say enough about the importance of my family. At the end of the day—I know they
will be there to lean on.” Lindsay says she doesn’t dwell on the fact that she’s a female leader of a manufacturing
company. “I don’t think about it, I just do it.” Granted, her job requires her to make tough decisions and work
long hours. But she’s also learned a few great tricks along the way: “For one, I now recognize that you want
to surround yourself with a team of people who are smarter than you and empowered to get the job done.”
Together, the greater Gifford’s family shares in the joys and struggles of success. “In the end, we recognize
how fortunate we are to be around a happy business that is successful,” says Lindsay. “We have some
incredibly energetic and loyal customers who seem to fall in love with our product. And I feel like we are
taking it to the next level to make our grandparents and parents proud.”
World-class ice cream
from a small town in Maine
Today’s
Leaders
John Chester Gifford Jr.
Vice President of Sales, Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream
John Chester Gifford (JC) was born in Waterville, Maine, in 1981,
into a long line of ice cream makers. Asked to reflect on what it
was like to be born into an ice cream family, JC admits that, as
a boy, he didn’t fully grasp what it meant. “It was just fun to
travel around on sales calls with my dad in Maine and to ‘The
County,’ but it didn’t really sink in what it all meant until I was
in high school.”
JC grew up working at the Gifford’s Mini Golf behind the Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream
Stand on Route 201 in Skowhegan. This is the location of Gifford’s first Ice Cream
stand, and the beginning of what would become Maine’s largest and most successful
“ I think people love
the company because
it’s all about family...”
ice cream company.
From a young age, JC worked for his parents, taking care of the mini golf course. “I knew it was special, but I
didn’t know how meaningful it was until later in life,” he admits. Today, at age 33, JC is the Vice President of Sales
for Gifford’s Ice Cream, a position that oversees a territory of 16 states from Maine to DC to Nevada, with annual
sales of 1.7 million gallons of ice cream. “We are growing at a steady clip,” says JC with pride, and while he swears
that Gifford’s does track dollar sales, he and his team of six sales representatives prefer to measure growth by
gallons sold. “Money has never been the issue at Gifford’s. It’s all about the ice cream,” he says with a smile.
JC, his two sisters Lindsay and Samantha, and their cousin Ryan Porter are the emerging young leaders in this
5th generation ice cream family. Each of them brings an enormous amount of passion, intelligence, and hard work
to the table, and each has uncommon reverence for their heritage and the sweat equity that brought them here.
For JC, the sacrifice made by four generations of relatives before him is a deep source of pride and motivation.
“Growing up in this family, you would hear the stories about the troubling times when the family was just getting
World-class ice cream
from a small town in Maine
started and how people worked together, stuck through it, and did
what they needed to do,” says JC. “It would have been easy to give
up but they didn’t allow that to happen. They put all their time and
effort and all they had into this company.”
JC notes that the most rewarding part of his job is witnessing
success in the members of his sales team. “I like seeing us
working together – sharing the growth with the family members
and plant employees so we can grow as a team.” Of the 14
factory employees at Gifford’s, some have been with the company
since day one, when Gifford’s switched from milk to ice cream.
Family
“Some guys started here in high school and are still with the
company,” says JC with a smile. “That means a lot.”
Yet JC admits that he feels a sense of frustration when he cannot make things happen faster for an existing customer
or for a brand new account. During the summer months, the temperature at the small yellow clapboard factory rises,
and so does the pressure. “Summer is such a short window – and at Gifford’s in the summer, everything is urgent,”
he says. But JC is fortunate to have reinforcements nearby. “Lindsay, Samantha, Ryan and I are so lucky to be able to
speak with our father and uncle and get reassurance when we need it. Almost every issue we face is something they
have dealt with before. We can talk it through and know that we are on the same team.”
JC doesn’t hesitate when asked why people go crazy for Gifford’s. “I think people love the company because it’s all
about family – from those with the last name to our team, to our loyal family of customers. We haven’t changed
much about the way we make ice cream. We never look to compromise the quality of our product, rather we always
look to enhance it.” Bottom line: “It’s good ice cream. If it wasn’t good ice cream people wouldn’t go crazy about it.”
World-class ice cream
from a small town in Maine
Today’s
Leaders
Samantha Gifford
Maine Regional Sales Manager, Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream
When you meet Samantha Gifford you can see right away why she
wanted to go into the fashion industry. Long, dark hair, a radiant
smile, and a sense of style, color and texture exude from this
young Gifford’s family member. After high school, Samantha
left Skowhegan for Providence, RI, to pursue a career in fashion,
but something happened.
“I remember being in college in a sales and marketing class, and somewhere
during the class, I realized how much I already knew,” explains Samantha.
After class, Samantha rushed to a phone, called her dad and told him she
was interested in coming back to Maine to work for the family business.
“When you’re growing up, you just don’t realize how much you are learning –
over dinner table conversations and every day – everything we discussed
“It is my job to make sure
our customers understand
how important they are to
our family and our team.”
was always about the business.” Samantha says something just clicked. “I decided to go to school for business.”
So she went to Husson University and graduated with a B.A. in Business and returned to Skowhegan to start work.
Samantha is the youngest of the four emerging Gifford family leaders. “I was a surprise!” she says with a laugh.
At only 24, she does not lack in clarity about her role or the importance of her place in the business. As the Maine
Regional Sales Manager for Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream, Samantha’s job is to travel throughout Maine, visiting
colleges, restaurants, ice cream stands and retail outlets that carry Gifford’s. “My job includes visits to our existing
retail accounts such as – Hannaford, Shaw’s, Whole Foods Market – and making sure everything is set to the
planogram and stocked.” Samantha also makes cold calls to prospects and introduces existing customers to new
flavors and dessert ideas.
World-class ice cream
from a small town in Maine
“It is my job to make our customers understand how important
they are to our family and our team,” she says emphatically. “If it
weren’t for our customers and retailers, we would not be where
we are today.”
Samantha admits that growing up in an ice cream family had
its idiosyncrasies. “If we went shopping at the grocery store, we
always stopped at the freezer section to make sure the product
was well-stocked,” she recounts. “And now, I always find my
way there too. It’s our family name and I take pride in that,”
Family
she says with a smile.
Samantha feels incredibly fortunate to have grown up a Gifford.
“It has been awesome. Even when I was little I remember
everything about the company. I used to help my mom at the mini golf course—picking up leaves, organizing
clubs. Like any kid, you liked to help out and be involved,” she recalls.
But she confesses that it wasn’t until Middle School when she realized the enormity of it all. “Today I work with
team members who have spent their careers with us, who have known me since I was in diapers, and I have
really come to appreciate how much this matters to all of us.”
Another transformation took place in New York City following 9/11. “After the tragedy, we released an ice cream
called “Stars and Stripes” and we brought it to Ground Zero, to fire stations, and to the Pentagon, and we scooped
for the workers.” Samantha was only in the 6th grade, but she made the trip with her family and says it was a
pivotal experience. “Our family wanted to give something back and we wanted the rescue workers to know how
much we – and everyone – appreciated their hard work.”
As she looks back on her childhood, Samantha can count dozens of reasons to be proud. “Starting with my
grandparents—I am so proud of their hard work. And then my dad, he worked so hard and still managed to
coach and attend all of our sporting and academic events while growing up. In my family, we learned that
nothing is going to be handed to you. If you want to be a success you have to work for everything. My father
and Uncle Roger did. My family means the world to me. I can’t stress that enough.”
Samantha, a self-proclaimed small-town girl, admits that the most rewarding aspect of her job is being part of a
family-owned company. “Working day in and day out with family members—nothing is more meaningful than
that. I want to keep the company alive and keep my family proud.”
World-class ice cream
from a small town in Maine
Our
Ingredients
Our Award Winning Secret the very best ingredients
The foundation of every ice cream flavor we make is the cream and milk. After
that, each ingredient is carefully selected and must meet our high quality standards.
• 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
FPO-LR
World-class ice cream
from a small town in Maine
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how we make
Ice Cream
Making Ice Cream
the old fashioned way
Every Gifford’s ice cream flavor is unique – and it’s not just what’s in
it, but how it’s made that makes the difference. From a small yellow
clapboard factory in the rural town of Skowhegan, Maine, each flavor is
made on a single production line. Gifford’s is a small-town success story.
• It all starts with the family recipes, created in part by great
grandparents Chester and Fayolyn Main and passed down
through the generations.
• The Gifford’s team of ice cream-makers crafts 90 percent of our
flavors from scratch using the freshest ingredients and steam kettles.
• Gifford’s uses a special blend of fresh milk and cream from local
farms delivered to their ice cream plant several times per week. This
creamy base sets the stage for the creation of Gifford’s Famous Ice
Cream flavors.
• Once the flavors are blended in our mixing tanks, we begin the
manufacturing process in our 1940s Cherry Burrell ice cream
freezers. These antique machines slow churn each flavor to achieve
maximum creaminess. The Cherry Burrells are an essential step in
making Gifford’s ice cream famous!
• After the slow churning process, we carefully fold special ingredients
into each flavor-- cookie dough, premium nuts, Maine wild blueberries
from just up the road, and strawberries that have been thawed and
sugared over two-days.
• At this point each delicious flavor is poured into its own
container and is ready for the freezer. Then, hold on to
your hat!
• Each container travels along the conveyor belt into a hardening
tunnel – something akin to the North Pole – with subfreezing
temperatures and high wind velocity (yes, we add wind to
make it colder!). Here, temperatures plummet to 60 degrees
below zero!
• For up to 8 hours the ice cream endures some of the coldest
temperatures on earth! This magical step helps to produce a
smoother, creamier ice cream. And yes, there are people at
Gifford’s wearing parkas and hats in July – these ice cream
makers are dedicated!
• Our family name is on every package, and our reputation is
on the line with every scoop. Using the best ingredients and
a proven process for making ice cream helps make sure you’ll
always come back for more.
World-class ice cream
from a small town in Maine
Introducing
World-class ice cream
from a small town in Maine
The outdoor Adventure Series is here!
Gifford’s is excited to be rolling out its Outdoor Adventure Series, six amazing flavors inspired
by Maine’s rich outdoor legacy. “Our family feels strongly about our Maine heritage and the
people of Maine who love the outdoors,” said Lindsay Gifford-Skilling. “We wanted to take
a shot at something big, something creative that would celebrate and commemorate Maine
and the life that we cherish. We also wanted to give our loyal fans some exciting new flavors
to try.” Each flavor in the Outdoor Adventure Series was inspired by the Maine outdoors.
Mt. Katahdin Crunch
Named by the Penobscot Indians, Katahdin means “The Greatest Mountain” and at
5,269 feet, it stands as the state’s highest peak. Katahdin is the centerpiece of “forever
wild” Baxter State Park, a large wilderness area that was given to the people of Maine
by Governor Percival P. Baxter. This flavor is made with a mountain of toffee ice cream
and a landslide of chocolate-coated English toffee.
Golden Road Butter Brickle
The Golden Road is a 96-mile road built by the Great Northern Paper Company that
allowed raw lumber to travel between Quebec to the paper mill in Millinocket. Some
believe the name derived from the road’s high cost, but others believe it was named
for its golden color. Whatever the case, this yummy golden concoction is made with
buttery ice cream loaded with crunchy sweet peanut brittle.
Appalachian Trail
A 2,180-mile footpath that stretches from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail is one
of the longest continuously marked trails in the world. Maine claims 281 miles of the trail
and of course is home to its northern terminus on Mt. Katahdin’s Baxter Peak. This flavor
uses honey crunch cashews and chocolate flakes to form a tasty path through lush banana
ice cream.
Campfire S’mores
Making s’mores around a campfire could be considered an unofficial state pastime. This
ice cream is made with chocolate chips and marshmallow ripple in graham ice cream.
Fly Fishing Fudge
Fly fishing has played an important part in Maine’s history from as early as 1800s and
the state’s lakes and rivers remain some of the best fishing locations in the world. This ice
cream is made with M&M’s®, cookie dough, and chocolate chunks that jump in and out
of a fudge river flowing through vanilla ice cream.
Muddy Boots
If you live in Maine you’ve definitely experienced them. If you’ve visited Maine during
mud season, need we say more? This ice cream is made with Gifford’s award-winning
Old-Fashioned Vanilla ice cream, sweet caramel ripple and rich chocolate brownie bites.
Downright dirty and delicious! In 2012, this wonderful flavor was created as a special
edition ice cream for L.L. Bean’s 100th anniversary.
World-class ice cream
from a small town in Maine
Awards and
Recognition
Over the years we’ve earned our share of smiles
– and more than a few blue ribbons, too.
World’s Best Vanilla, World’s Best Chocolate, four times over. World Dairy Grand Champion
three years running. Yet, perhaps the sweetest award we’ve received recently is the 2013
People’s Choice 1st Place for Gifford’s Campfire S’mores, won at the New Jersey Ice Cream
Festival. After all, we slow churn it for regular folks, not industry experts.
Take a peak at our trophy case
World Dairy Expo
Institute for Family-Owned Businesses
Ice Cream Grand Champion
Gannett Family Business of the Year, 2008
Consecutive Four-Time Winner – 2010, ‘11, ‘12, ‘13
World’s Best Chocolate
World’s Best Orange Sherbet
Maine Governor’s Award
Governor’s Award for Business Excellence, 2010
World’s Best French Vanilla
Yankee Magazine – Best of New England – Editor’s Choice
World’s Best Vanilla Bean
Best Ice Cream Stand, Maine, 2014
World’s Best Vanilla
National Ice Cream Retailers Association
1st Place Strawberry
1st Place Old Fashioned Vanilla
1st Place Chocolate
Best New Flavor Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip frozen yogurt
NJ Ice Cream Festival
2013 People’s Choice Award – Campfire S’mores
2012 2nd Prize – Muddy Bean Boots
2011 2nd Prize in the People’s Choice – Chocolate Lovers Chocolate
2011 3rd Prize – Old Fashioned Vanilla
2010 People’s Choice Award – Chocolate Lovers Chocolate
2010 First Prize – Old Fashioned Vanilla
2009 First Prize – Old Fashioned Vanilla
2008 3rd Prize in the People’s Choice for Maine Lobster Tracks
2008 First Prize – Old Fashioned Vanilla