After 44 years of manufacturing Ice Cream in Australia we have decided to close our two factories on February 27th 2015, this will be our last production day.
Supermarket Ice Cream wars have cost the retailer profit and the manufacturer loss of margin and have reduced our capacity to recover costs for some 4 years now with our capital being eroded year by year.
We tried our own shops with a terrific customer response however, the weekend trade (our best time) made losses due to the high weekend cost of labour in the stores.
Indications for the future are of continuing ingredient and labour rises making plant and machinery replacement and profit budgeting impossible.
We do not wish to compromise our assets and therefore have decided that the timing is right and the opportunity is there for us to now develop our inner city real estate sites in Melbourne and Sydney.
We are solvent and all of our creditors will be paid in full it is our decision to close. Thank you for your support over the years but as the song goes you must know when to hold it and know when to fold it.
From the Directors and Founders of Dairy Bell Ice Cream.
