National Ice Cream Retailers Association

Transcription

1 JANUARY $25.00 National Ice Cream Retailers Association NICRA SUPPLIER MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Consistency - Not Complacency By Mark Leichtman Berzaci Manufacturer of Fine Ingredients To have a successful business, you must have consistency throughout your business. Consistency is expected, desired and necessary to grow your business. Your employees, suppliers and most importantly, your customers deserve consistency. When you consistently try to improve your business with quality products and better service, you will continue to thrive and generate loyal customers. However, when you consistently flip flop due to lack of procedures, this can cause great concern with your staff and ultimately with your customers. Inconsistency may take many shapes, though the most common signs are confusion, lack of trust and loyalty, and inconsistency of your product (i.e. a milk shake is thin today but thick tomorrow). Consistency is expected of the product you serve, with the service you provide, the appearance of your store, and the attitude of your staff. The greater the appearance of consistency, the greater the results and profits. The lack of consistency can lead to a lack of trust or goodwill, lack of loyalty and a reputation you probably don t want to have among your employees, suppliers and customers. Therefore, consistently try to improve your business but do not take unnecessary shortcuts to survive. McDonald s is a great example of consistency. McDonald s core menu item is the hamburger. It successfully changed the core to include sandwiches, chicken and fish. From there they added wraps and flatbread snacks. All of these are additions to their core menu. McDonald s has also taken a typical cup of coffee to a more sophisticated level with the McCafe. You, too, have the creativity to stretch your core menu. In the world of frozen desserts, the core items are typically a IN THIS ISSUE Consistency - Not Complacency by Mark Leichtman, Bercazi...1 Ah, Nuts! by David Hammons, Hammons Products Co...4 Scholarship Winner Shares Her Essay...6 Here s To Your Success! NICRA Members share their publicity...8 What Can We Expect for 2011? by Pearl Giordano, Limpert Brothers...10 Butter Prices...10 Advanced Gourmet Announces Agreement With Cattabriga...11 YoCream International Announces Agreement With Danone...11 Officers, Board Members & Supplier Officers...12 cup or cone, sundaes, shakes and smoothies. Your customers expect you to have these items. This is the consistency they expect and you provide. Adding a new flavor, whether it is seasonal or a limited time offer, creates excitement for your customers and crew. Do you serve coffee or hot chocolate? Have you tried adding a small amount of ice cream to it? Have you tried blending them in your shake machine? Trying a new frozen drink or creating a variation off your shakes or smoothies allows showing off your creativity while remaining true toward your core menu. Do you sell just one size ice cream cake? Offering your customers a choice of sizes can result in an increase in cake sales. Having cakes with different colors, sizes and shapes creates a more interesting cake display. This eye appeal can lead to more cake orders. This is an example of being consistent by constantly seeking new flavor sensations for your customers. Let everyone know when the new flavor or item will start and when it will end. Have you trained your employees on the new item and let them taste it? A well trained employee who really likes the new item will be more enthusiastic about selling it. Having a training program is great, but only if it is current. Do you keep track of who was trained on the new product and who did the training? This leads to accountability for the employee and the trainer (even if it is you). Did you allow the employee to make the product without your assistance?

2 CALL YOUR NICRA SUPPLIER MEMBERS FIRST Let them demonstrate their understanding of the product. This builds their confidence and will assist them in selling it to your customers. Did you explain the importance of the procedure? A shortcut may save a step but could lead to an inconsistent product. Of course, you should keep an open mind and listen to suggestions. After all, the crew is dealing with the procedure daily and may have an easier way to prepare the product. If you are open to suggestions, the crew will be more forthcoming and will be more receptive to your approval or disapproval of their idea. A current training program builds consistency in procedure and product; it s always the same, resulting in a consistent product for your customer. Having the same faces in your store make the customer comfortable knowing that the product made by Joe will be the same as the one made by Mary. When employees feel confident in what is expected of them, they are less likely to leave. A consistent training program leads to consistency in serving, products and customer service. A common tool for training has the following steps: 1. Prepare - The first step in this process is to prepare the employee. The trainer should put the employee at ease and explain why the skill to be learned is important. Explain any hazards or problems that may be involved and how to deal with them. Answer any questions that the employee may have about the task. 2. Demonstrate - Explain the task thoroughly. Break it down into key parts or steps. Most employees will find that learning several smaller tasks and putting those together is easier than trying to learn one large skill all at once. 3. Execute - Demonstrate exactly how the task or skill is to be done for the employee. Involve the employee by asking questions and getting feedback. Have the employee explain the process or skill back to the trainer. 4. Evaluate - The employee now has the opportunity to perform or do the task. The trainer needs to help the employee develop confidence by carefully monitoring the employee at first, then allowing him or her to work without supervision. The employer needs to make sure that the employee does each step correctly and avoids developing any bad habits. 5. Modify - Provide honest feedback to the employee in terms of encouragement, constructive criticism, and additional comments. This is a great opportunity to praise the employee or correct their progress. 6. Observe Continue to monitor procedures and take corrective actions when necessary. Always seeking to improve your product(s) is a form of consistency. Testing new products demonstrates to your staff and customers that you are innovative and always seeking to provide new taste sensations for them. If a new caramel is thinner or thicker than the previous one, have you instructed the employees how to address this with your customers? They are the ones who have to answer to a customer who, based upon a previous visit, received something different than what they were expecting. Pistachio flavoring can vary in price due to the difference in quality of the pistachio nut and whether it is imported or not. Changing from a high quality pistachio to a lower quality pistachio because of price alone can lead to disappointed customers. Strawberry ice cream is a different issue altogether. If you only use fresh strawberries, the sweetness of the strawberry will change each time you purchase them. By using a stabilized strawberry or puree with the fresh strawberries you can help minimize any change in taste consistency. Constantly switching between products can result in a lack of customer loyalty; they never know what to expect. If you need to change an item, consider renaming the product (if possible) to reflect the change, i.e. praline ice cream to caramel ice cream. This will let your customer know to expect a different flavor profile. Having checklists is great, if they are current and used. If they are being used, are you looking at them? When employees know you are looking at the checklists, they tend to be more diligent when completing them. When you work the store, do you use the checklists? Lead by example! Utilizing checklists for prep, cleaning and maintenance, assists in keeping your store consistently ready, clean and in good 2

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4 CALL YOUR NICRA SUPPLIER MEMBERS FIRST repair. This results in a consistently stocked, clean and comfortable atmosphere for your customers to enjoy their desserts. Do you use a cake order form for custom cakes? Is it clear to everyone how to complete the form? Did you stress the importance of legibility? All employees should be able to understand the necessity for filling out the form properly and neatly. After all, would they want to spend money on a cake with the wrong flavors or inscription? Do you always make your cakes the same, one or two layers of cake with one or two layers of ice cream or does everyone, customers and employees, have to guess as to what is inside? Do you always have many cakes on display? Cake sales will increase if customers know that the cakes they want are always available and are what they expect when they slice into them. Did you pay your bills today before opening your store? Maybe the smile on your face is missing because of this! But you have to put that smile on because you know customers and employees do not want to see a grumpy owner. Customers come into an ice cream store because they want to feel rewarded or want to celebrate a happy event. Long faces on you and your employees do not fit into a happy atmosphere. Why come into a store where you never know what the mood inside will be like? Be consistent, be smiling! How do you build customer loyalty? By being consistent! By providing great service and great products, your customers will enjoy coming to your store. But if the service or products are inconsistent, why should they return? Think about your own habits. Do you always go to the same place for a haircut or do you shop around? Do you always go to the same dry cleaner or do you shop around? In both cases, most of us find a store we like and become loyal customers because we like the way we are greeted and treated by the owner and staff of that store. While price may play a part of the equation, it is not the only reason we choose to do business with them. After all, a lousy haircut is a lousy haircut! Remember why you opened your shop-to make money while giving the customer the best product and service possible. Consistently providing great service and products are the keys to your success. Make your plans now to attend NICRA s 78th Annual Meeting Hyatt Regency Riverfront Jacksonville, Florida November 2-5, 2011 NICRA SUPPLIER MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Ah, Nuts! by David Hammons Hammons Nuts People have been putting nuts in ice cream for as long as anyone can remember and continue to create unique and popular nut-based flavors. But nuts can be intimidating to ice cream makers unfamiliar with their individual aspects. I ve heard worries over nuts and I d like to address these concerns while using as few nutty puns as possible. I hear questions like, how do you handle allergy issues? What s with all the recalls I ve been hearing about? Why are nuts so expensive? As a nut processor and supplier, I ll do my best to help explain the situation and encourage the use of nuts in ice creams. First off, the allergy issue is one that can only be diminished, not solved. While the nut industry is working hard to find a cure for nut allergies, the best we can do is diminish the risk of reaction. That s the bad news. The good news, however, is that you have the ability to prevent allergic reactions. Thoroughly cleaning equipment that handles nuts is vital but should be simple since cleaning equipment is already done for simple sanitary reasons. A better method is to have nut equipment and non-nut equipment that never handles nuts. Separating equipment that handles nuts and nut-free equipment or utensils is a touch difficult but may just make a happy customer out of a worrisome mom with an allergyladen child. Being selective with nuts is another method. Peanuts are by far the most allergy-prone nut. Putting up a no peanuts sign or simply informing cautious customers that you only use tree nuts could help attract peanut allergy customers but keep customers who love buttered pecan or black walnut ice cream. Of course then peanut toppings are out. It s up to you to decide what your customers want most. Every market is different, but stores promoting themselves as peanut-free or allergy-conscious have been shown to effectively acquire new customers who are otherwise too allergy cautious to go to a scoop shop. Along with the allergen issue, the biggest concern I hear about nuts is food safety. In recent years peanuts, pistachios, and a small quantity of pecans have suffered voluntary and forced recalls of product on concerns of food safety. Again, that s the bad news. The good news is that radical new changes in nut practices have been put in place to prevent this from happening. Due to the recalls, nearly all nuts now go through a proven sterilization process. And new food safety certifications have been established that impose stricter 4

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6 CALL YOUR NICRA SUPPLIER MEMBERS FIRST handling policies on nut processors. You, as a customer, have the power to choose only certified companies. Ask your supplier if they have certifications such as SQF, AIB, Kosher, and other qualifiers. Nut suppliers can provide documentation on these certifications so if you ever have concern about food safety, or if your customers do, an inspection certification with a qualified inspection agency, such as SQF, can be very effective in proving that the nuts are safe. So why are nuts so expensive? The simple answer can be summed up in one word: China. I know, blame the Chinese seems sort of a catch-all economic excuse but in this case it s very true. Demand for nuts of all types has exploded internationally and domestically and it s primarily driven by the rise in income of several hundred million Chinese consumers who love to snack on nuts. Commodity prices are up due to the enormous demand and nearly all nuts, English walnuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, are trading at above normal levels. Some nuts are stable, such as black walnuts and peanuts, but nearly all are up. Expect Chinese speculation to continue to keep prices at these high levels with possible price falls with the 2011 harvest next fall. Almond prices are already falling from record highs, for instance, but show little indication that they will return to normal levels. It is unlikely that we will see the prices of nuts from two to three years ago, when some nuts traded at half their current value, but they should come somewhat off these highs within the next year or two. Despite all this, nuts continue to be amazingly popular and many ice cream stores are doing some really interesting things. One company is making a vegan ice cream using cashew nut milk, creating a surprisingly creamy ice cream with a rich texture. Consumers are aware of the health benefits of nuts and are eager to see them in use to create more nutritional, natural options. There s dozens of nuts out there and a multitude of fun things to do and explore in ice creams. And, of course, ice cream lovers are nuts for nuts! SCHOLARSHIP WINNER SHARES HER ESSAY Sara Dryden, employee of Bonnie Brae Ice Cream in Denver, Colorado won a Scholarship Award this year. The committee Chairman, Cliff Freund, who has been judging the scholarship awards for many years, felt that her essay was one of the best he has ever read. NICRA asked Sara for permission to reprint her essay in the Bulletin and she said yes. Here is her essay. things from my vantage point behind the counter, one of the most influential things I ve been blessed to observe is the simplicity and power of love. An elderly couple visits the ice cream shop every Saturday afternoon. As they walk in, the husband slowly and gingerly takes his seat at the corner table. He is hunched over his cane, clearly in pain, but the years of steadfast endurance etched on his face and the veteran s cap upon his head prove his determination. His wife comes to the counter, perfectly content with the slow pace of their advance. She expertly orders a large vanilla ice cream soda. As I start on the soda, she gives her second order: two scoops of sherbet in a homemade waffle cone bowl. Though my interaction with the couple ends with the ring of the register, I can t help but watch them as they sit down to their afternoon treat. The husband eagerly dives into his soda, first carefully scooping off and eating the foam on top. The wife works through the sherbet, breaking off pieces of waffle bowl with each spoonful. Occasionally they exchange snippets of insight, but mostly they eat in silence. As I watch them perform these simple, everyday motions, I see more: I see the unwavering, implicit, tested and true bond of love. I imagine the story of their meeting, marriage and family. I see they ve been through great difficulties but have overcome each of them. I am moved by their non-need to express this love with trite words and banalities. Their love is unspoken; it is easily expressed over such a simple thing as a shared serving of ice cream. In a world full of violence and despair, this couple has taught me that true love can never be destroyed and can overcome the hate and carelessness that surrounds it. They have taught me to love without holding back, and to never give up hope, even when making a difference in the vast, sometimes ugly world seems an impossible task. As I enter into college, this message could not have come at a better time. As I learn more about the world around me, I can t help feeling helpless and discouraged with the increasingly difficult and numerous problems of our time. There remain, however, people like the couple I described, or the woman who serves dinner relentlessly at the homeless shelter, or the man who works two jobs to support his family, who keep the hope alive. Who remind me that I have a purpose. Who keep me headed for my goals. Who help me recognize God in myself. They are the reason I go to college. They are the reason I persevere in spite of difficulties. They are the reason I will help the world in whatever way I can. The last place I ever expected to learn a life lesson (beyond the proper way to make a waffle cone) was at my local ice cream shop. Yet, that is exactly what I have done. I ve worked at Bonnie Brae Ice Cream in Denver, Colorado for two years. Through my interaction with customers, my time at the old-fashioned ice cream shop has been an indispensable learning experience. Though I ve learned many Right now in my life, I believe that I am called to a profession in the medical field. For many young kids and most not-so-young adults, little in life is worse than a visit to their doctor s office. With the white lab coats, the cold hard metal on their skin, the strange instruments going places they d rather they didn t, and the outrageous bill at the end, it s easy to see why. For me, this is because doctors and patients have 6

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8 CALL YOUR NICRA SUPPLIER MEMBERS FIRST forgotten that the medial field consists of so much more than medicine. It consists mainly of chemistry and biology (my intended major), true, but just as importantly, it takes history; it takes psychology; it takes faith; it takes communication; it takes understanding; it takes heart and love. I plan to take knowledge from all fields of learning and from all experiences in life, and use it to my fullest advantage in college (Biology/Pre-med, 4 years) and beyond (Med School 4 years). HERE S TO YOUR SUCCESS! Several of our members were featured in television and print and recognized as a place to go. Here are their stories. young neighbor who fly in a balloon-powered house to South America, includes some San Francisco Bay area landmarks, including the popular ice cream parlor, Fentons Creamery, in Oakland. Fenton s master blender Scott Whidden came up with this recipe he says will take you Up, up and away! Nickelodeon Channel s Parent s Connect Parents Pick Voted Best Ice Cream Shop San Francisco. CBS 5 s Eye on the Bay October 2010, Historic Eateries. Univision Channel s Al Despertar August 2, 2010, morning program showcasing Fentons Creamery. Bedford Farms Ice Cream Bedford Farms was one of the feature presentations on My Fox/25 Boston television Zip Trip morning show. The theme of the show was the Fox/25 morning show ice cream contest at Bedford Farms. Each host designed their own gourmet flavor of ice cream. The film crew and hosts came to Bedford Farms two weeks before show time, the 3 hosts were videoed, each mixing and making their own gourmet flavor. The success of this television contest event was that each host promoted their own flavor for one week prior to the live telecast during the daily morning show on My Fox/25 Boston. A true wow success. This video can be seen by going to the Bedford Farms web site at bedfordfarmsicecream.com and selecting the Fox/25 Zip Trip button. Bedford Farms was also featured in the Boston Globe s summer ice cream series about Best Ice Cream Cakes on the following Monday and they received 26 special cake orders. Double Dip Ice Cream Double Dip Ice Cream had a photo published in the newspaper announcing the winners of the Name Our Cow contest. Adam Collet, 11, won the grand prize of a Schwinn bicycle for the name Scooper. Emily Perkins, 10, and Jessie Wilcher, 10 won pizza parties for the runner up names, Sprinkles and Sundae. During the Applefest, held in downtown Lebanon, Ohio, a photo appeared in the newspaper featuring the Double Dip Ice Cream sign. The company was also given The Thomas Corwin Award for historical preservation. Fentons Creamery Here are the appearances for Fentons Creamery: Trave Channel Chowdown Countdown 101 Tastiest Places to Visit Named #4 out of 101 places to visit in the United States. Aired in January 2010, shown throughout the year in repeats ZAGAT 2010 Review: Rich in butterfat and nostalgia, this Oakland landmark, an Archie and Veronica ice cream fountain with lunch counter menu, has catered to four generations of crab sandwich lovers and the eternal kid in us all, who screams for the best milkshakes and legendary monster sundaes, dripping with homemade caramel, the gargantuan concoctions (also scooped up at Oakland International) still rock the house. ZAGAT 2011 Review: What s not to love about an old-fashioned ice creamery? Ask Oakland admirers who have made a family tradition of ordering humongous gooey sundaes at this always crowded classic soda fountain (which got a salute in the movie UP ); the sweet toothed say don t bother with the other food, but some suggest splitting the excellent crab sandwich with your tablemate before pigging out on the wildly indulgent desserts. P.S. the Oakland airport outpost can be counted on for a quick fix of fantastic cones before your flight. Vacaville Magazine June/July 2010 Let s Eat Vacaville, a culinary perspective Fenton s Creamery, 4-page feature in very popular regional publication. Oakland Magazine July 2010 Best of: Best place for ice cream and kid-friendly. New York Magazine February 2010 UP s Oscar Nom, will mean business for real-life ice cream shop. Coming Soon: Food Network: Best Thing I Ever Ate segment to be called Crazy Cool. Flat Pennies Ice Cream Flat Pennies Ice Cream in Bay City, Wisconsin was named number three in Twelve Reasons to Visit Wisconsin s Great River Road This Fall. Ice cream (and pet) lovers have made Flat Pennies a top choice. Owner Jim Ross creates homemade soft serve ice cream in a little cabin next to a SOO Line caboose. Visitors traveling with pets can take advantage of the pet rest stop, a pet-friendly area where furry friends can stretch and enjoy a woof wafer. Flat Pennies is so popular, engineers have been known to stop their freight trains to Associated Press Oscar-inspired drinks toast Hollywood s Biggest Night UP Celebration Float by Michelle Locke/ The Associated Press, March 2, The article appeared in over 300 newspapers nationwide and in Canada over a two-month period. UP, a movie about an old man and his order a cone and lunch to go. 8

9 CALL YOUR NICRA SUPPLIER MEMBERS FIRST Franklin Fountain Franklin Fountain says their success is directly a result of the support we ve been given by the NICRA organization. Thank you especially to Lynda Utterback, Ray Sheehan, Jim Mitchell and Steve Thompson, Bill Meagher, Bob Romarino and many other at Four Seas Ice Cream and Anderson s Frozen Custard Best Ice Cream Philadelphia Magazine Food Network Best Thing I ever Drank Food Network Unwrapped on Clear Toy Candy Travel Channel Man vs. Food October issue Rachael Ray Magazine on Hot Milkshakes #1 in Haute Living Magazine s category for ice cream shops in Philadelphia Winners in The Nosh Guys Ice Cream Warz Philly Inquirer Oldest Candy Store Spared KWY1060 Radio Old Fashioned Merchants Reach Deal Emperors of Ice Cream on YouTube.com First Date Ideas dailycandy.com Izzy s Ice Cream Café Izzy s Ice Cream Café was mentioned in the following periodicals in 2010 Metro Magazine Metro 100: #61 Izzy s high-tech ice cream. October 2010 Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine: All you Can Eat: A Good Food Guide to the 52 People, Places and Plates That Make the Twin Cities A Tasty Place to Live August 2010 Twin Cities Business Magazine What Izzy s Is: A little ice cream business with a taste for innovation. August 2010 Minnesota Business Magazine: Keeping Up With the Fast World Of Ice Cream Flavors? July 2010 Vimeo, Albert Maruggi Online Video Blog, Izzy s Ice Cream Flavor UP. July 2010 (Available on the web site at Computer World Online, Ice Cream with (RFID) chips to go May 2010 Kelley Country Creamery Kelley Country Creamery was featured in Wisconsin Agriculturist Magazine with an article opening our family on farm ice cream shop. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel TV Video featured in Green Bay, Madison, LaCrosse and Wausau, Wisconsin. They also won first place in the World Dairy Expo Dairy judging contest at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin this fall, 1 st place for Karen s Crazy Cake and 2 nd place for Leo s Butter Pecan. Morelli s Gourmet Ice Cream & Desserts Morelli s Gourmet was named number four in Bon Appetit s list of top 10 ice cream shops. Pizzi Farm Ice Cream Pizzi Farm Ice Cream was featured on the Phantom Gourmet as a hidden jewel. This is a television program with reviews of New England area restaurants from an anonymous critic. A video clip of the show can be seen on YouTube: Phantom Gourmet Pizzi Farm Subscribe to The National Dipper The only magazine that keeps you up-to-date in the retail frozen dessert industry. Regular columns include: New Products Industry News Calendar of Events Classified Special features include: Equipment Reviews Management Articles Association Events Employee Training Promotions Annual Source Book Also Available: Dipping Tips Training Posters Manuals for Costing Products Employee Training Posters Point of Sale Posters Magazine Binders Call or write for a subscription today! 1028 West Devon Avenue Elk Grove Village, IL Phone: (847) Fax: (847) lynda@nationaldipper.com Subscribe on-line at: 9

10 NICRA SUPPLIER MEMBER SPOTLIGHT WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN 2011? by Pearl Giordano Limpert Brothers CALL YOUR NICRA SUPPLIER MEMBERS FIRST Every year has its ups and downs, and every year calls for new and creative approaches to selling and over coming the challenges that a new season brings. This year will be no exception! You may have noticed that prices are already climbing: sugar is up, containers are up, cocoa prices are out of this world and that is just to mention a few commodities so you better buckle down and plan a new approach to cutting costs and saving money. You must now look at every aspect of your business and review every procedure to be certain that you are not overlooking each and every opportunity to save money and increase sales. You must be certain that you are getting the best value for your money! In these difficult economic times no one has money to waste on a disappointing flavor. Check usage levels do not over flavor or under flavor you are doing your business and your customers a disservice if you do not maintain your quality products the one thing that sets you apart from your competition is QUALITY and it always counts! When a customer visits your shop, they are looking for a wonderful flavor experience and it they have visited you before, they have returned to experience that same wonderful flavor experience they enjoyed on their prior visit. You never want to disappoint your loyal customers, sometimes they can tell you that something is wrong with your flavor, before you can tell something is wrong with your flavor, listen to your customers, they want you to succeed. When people feel overwhelmed they reach for something to comfort them, and many times that something is ice cream. Give your customers a reason to drive that extra mile to your location. Quality continues to be the best ingredient, it continues to satisfy your customers and keep them coming back. In troubled time the last thing you need is a treat that falls short of satisfying your customers needs for an outstanding treat. Look for new ideas and new flavors, we have just attended the NICRA meeting in Nashville and if you were not able to attend, you missed a great show. Lynda Utterback and the officers and Board of Directors did an exceptionally outstanding job, this year s meeting was one of the best in many years, that I can say I have experienced. Congratulations to all who contributed to this wonderful event. The ice cream flavors were very good and meetings like this one is where you get your fire and motivation for the coming season. We are so fortunate to have so many good people ready to step forward and share their talents with our members. If you walk away with one new idea or flavor concept you are ahead of the game, and today we need every advantage available for each of us to try. We can meet the challenges of the new season with creative thinking and new ideas, do not be afraid to try something new, something that is working for one of our members, may just work for you. NICRA is all about sharing, if you listen real hard, you can hear your problems be stated by one of our other members, but, many times you can hear how they solved the problem and that can work for you as well. We at Limpert Brothers wish each and everyone of you a successful 2011 season. Together your NICRA suppliers stand ready to provide you with any help we can render. Your success is our success. Together we can all become the victors and not the victims of the economy. BUTTER PRICES December 3, Grade AA Butter finished at $ The weekly average was $ (2009 price was $1.4950) December 10, Grade AA Butter finished at $ The weekly average was $ (2009 price was $1.4380) December Grade AA Butter finished at $ The weekly average was $ (2009 price was $1.3945) December 24, 2010 No Trading December 30, 2010 No Trading Support prices for butter start at $1.05. Butter prices are reported from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange every Friday. The Merc is considered a spot market for butter. Merc prices are important to dairy farmers because the value of the fat and fat differentials in raw milk are established from the prices quoted from the Exchange, and Merc prices are used in the BFP update. Make your plans now to attend NICRA s 78th Annual Meeting Hyatt Regency Riverfront Jacksonville, Florida November 2-5,

11 CALL YOUR NICRA SUPPLIER MEMBERS FIRST ADVANCED GOURMET ANNOUNCES NEW AGREEMENT WITH CATTABRIGA Advanced Gourmet Equipment proudly announces a newly formed agreement with Cattabriga, a company that began operations in 1927, a division of the Carpigiani Group in Bologna and part of the Ali SpA Group of companies headquartered in Milan, Italy, to become the sole representative within the United States of specialty frozendessert equipment manufactured in the Bologna, Italy headquarters. Included in the arrangement are the Coldelite Compacta, the Cattabriga Effe machines and traditional horizontal batch freezers, as well as the Masterchef professional production machine, which opens a new frontier with pastry chefs and continually increases in popularity worldwide. Cattabriga Effe machines are famous throughout the world and are now available in the United States. Now serious producers of the finest ice cream, gelato and sorbets have the option to produce the absolute best frozen dessert possible with the patented vertical technology of the Cattabriga Effe machines. The Coldelite Compact is the all-in-one machine that mixes, heats and freezes ingredients. Other equipment offered within the Advanced Gourmet-Cattabriga line include traditional batch freezers, pasteurizers, as well as the counter model Cattabbriga Group batch freezer. Advanced Gourmet also distributes Electro Freeze soft serve equipment, another Ali SpA Group company that is headquartered in East Moline, Ill. YOCREAM INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH DANONE YoCream International, Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Danone, under which a subsidiary of Danone will merge with YoCream, and each outstanding share of YoCream common stock will be converted into the right to receive approximately $39.82 per share in cash (subject to adjustment as described below) representing an enterprise value of YoCream of approximately $103 million. This per share purchase price represents a premium of 38.5% over YoCream s 60-day volume weighted average stock price. The Board of Directors of YoCream, acting on the recommendation of a special committee comprised solely of independent directors, has unanimously approved the transaction and recommends that all YoCream shareholders vote their shares to approve the merger. John Hanna will remain CEO and a director of YoCream following the closing of the transaction and the company s senior management team will also remain. They, along with one former board member, will retain an ownership interest of approximately 5% in the company following the closing. The name of the company will remain YoCream International following the closing. John Hanna, co-founder and chief executive officer of YoCream stated that, The company has been exploring various opportunities for continued growth for some time. This transaction benefits our shareholders by providing them with the opportunity to receive a significant premium for their YoCream shares, and joining the Danone Group represents a natural progression in our corporate achievement to provide healthful live and active cultured frozen yogurt to consumers in the US and abroad. Hanna added, We have continued our strong track record of innovation in this category and appreciate that Danone has recognized our leadership role for frozen yogurt in the foodservice industry. YoCream expected the transaction to close before December 28, NEW SUPPLIER MEMBERS PFC Advertising 943 Summerfield Dr. Roselle, IL / Fax: 630/ Peter Chiano Indoor digital advertising solutions TurnKeyParlor.com 1289 Fordham Blvd., Suite 117 Chapel Hill, SC Fax: Neil Williams Ice cream parlor equipment The Natural Choice For Flavors Super-premium flavors for ice cream, custard, yogurt, sorbet, sherbet, and gelato No artificial ingredients No artificial taste One-pint minimum order GreenMountainFlavors.com 11

12 2010 NICRA OFFICERS President Lynn Dudek, Ruth Ann s, No. Muskegon, Michigan President Elect Dan Messer, Eskamoe s Frozen Custard, Monroe, La. Vice President David Zimmermann, Royal Scoop Homemade Ice Cream Bonita Springs, Fla. Secretary/Treasurer Nanette Frey, Frey s Tasty Treat, Inc. Immediate Past President Bob Turner, Dairy Corner, Urbana, Ohio Executive Director Lynda Utterback, Elk Grove Village, Ill. Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2011 Terry Michels, Queen City Creamery & Deli, LLC Cumberland, Maryland Rod Oringer, Concord Foods Brockton, Massachusetts Rick Pizzi, Pizzi Farm Ice Cream Waltham, Massachusetts Jim Ross, Flat Pennies Ice Cream Bay City, Wisconsin Roberta Rudolph, Custard Cone Roscoe, Illinois Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2012 Carl Chaney, Chaney s Dairy Barn Bowling Green, Kentucky Cliff Freund, Cliff s Dairy Maid Ledgewood, New Jersey Juergen Kloo, Joy Cone Co. Hermitage, Pennsylvania John Pitchford, JP s Custard Cart, Albuquerque, New Mexico Joe Venuti, Bedford Farms Ice Cream Bedford, Massachusetts Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2013 Mary Leopold, Leopold s Ice Cream Savannah, Georgia Jim Marmion, Advanced Gourmet Equipment Greensboro, North Carolina Neil McWilliams, Spring Dipper Mammoth Spring, Arkansas Jeff Myers, The Double Dip Lebanon, Ohio Charles Page, Page Dairy Mart Pittsburgh, Penn. Chairman Rich Draper, Ice Cream Club, Inc., Boynton Beach, Fla. MISSION STATEMENT FOR NICRA The mission of the National Ice Cream Retailers Association (NICRA), a non-profit trade association, is to be the leader in the frozen dessert industry that others look to for help, support and education. NICRA will promote business growth and development throughout the industry. VISION OF THE ASSOCIATION NICRA will associate with similar associations dedicated to the same interests. NICRA will facilitate communication and education that both newcomers and veterans in the industry desire to be successful. NICRA will maintain a feeling of family within the association as it grows, and be dedicated to responsibly managing the association while maximizing value to the members. NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY NICRA is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all of its endeavors. To that end, NICRA shall not tolerate any words or acts of discrimination, harassment or any inappropriate behavior in general against any person affiliated with NICRA, including its members and guests, with regard to race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation. This Bulletin is published by: National Ice Cream Retailers Association 1028 West Devon Avenue Elk Grove Village, IL / Fax: 847/ Lynn Dudek, Chairman Publications Committee Lynda Utterback, Editor 2010 National Ice Cream Retailers Association Vol. 32, No. 1 This issue of the NICRA Bulletin is now available online at Click on the Members Only button and enter your Username and Password. If you cannot find your Username and Password, call the NICRA office at or send an to info@ nicra.org requesting the information SUPPLIER OFFICERS President Margaret Anderson, Taylor Freezer of New England Norwood, Massachusetts Vice President Tom Zak, Concord Foods, Brockton, Massachusetts Secretary/Treasurer Mary Kircher, Dingman s Dairy, Paterson, New Jersey 12