Gifford's Ice Cream Company

Gifford's Ice Cream is a privately-held maker of ice cream sold to retailers and other wholesale clients. Gifford's of Maine has retail and bulk customers throughout New England, New York and New Jersey, and operates five seasonal ice cream stands in Auburn, Bangor, Farmington, Skowhegan and Waterville. Brothers Roger and John Gifford began making ice cream part-time in 1980 and launched Gifford's Ice Cream full-time beginning in 1983. Gifford's Ice Cream grew to run several retail locations at first, as well as a wholesale business that provided ice cream to restaurants, hotels and other hospitality clients. In 2009 the company sold its store locations (the buyer later closed them) to focus on ice cream manufacturing and serving wholesale clients, such as grocery retailers as well as its restaurant, hotel and catering clients. In 2011, Gifford's Ice Cream acquired an ice cream maker in the mid-Altantic, expending its operations into Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. (Please see PrivCo M&A Table: Gifford's Ice Cream for deal details).