Chapman's

Chapman's Ice Cream
Company typePrivate
IndustryManufacturing
Founded1973; 51 years ago (1973)
HeadquartersMarkdale, Ontario, Canada
100 Chapman's Crescent
N0C 1H0
Area served
Canada
Key people
Penny Chapman and David Chapman (founders)
ProductsIce cream
Frozen yogurt
Websitechapmans.ca

Chapman's is a Canadian manufacturer of ice cream. It is the largest independent ice cream and ice water manufacturer in Canada.[1][2] Chapman's produces products under the company brand name, as well as store brand products.[3] They are also known for their range of ice creams for people with special dietary needs. Chapman's products are distributed nationally.[4]

The company was founded by David and Penny Chapman in 1973. Their son, Ashley, currently runs the business.[2]

History

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In 1973, David and Penny Chapman purchased the Creamery in Markdale, Ontario, a village just south of Georgian Bay. The company started out as a small creamery with four employees and two trucks.[4]

In 2001, a distribution centre was opened in New Brunswick to better serve Chapman's Atlantic Canada.[5]

On September 4, 2009, a major fire gutted the Chapman's creamery. No employees were hurt in the blaze. Chapman's had been using a smaller plant since the fire.[6]

On September 4, 2010 they opened its new facility on the anniversary of the destruction of the old plant. The smaller plant was converted into a nut facility, while the addition of the new plant became a nut-free facility (the larger of the two plants is about quadruple the size of the old one) allowed the hiring of 50 to 100 new employees.[7]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were being readied for distribution, which require strong refrigeration for storage, Chapman's volunteered the use of their industrial freezers for the Grey Bruce Health Unit for the vials.[8] When the company decided upon a vaccine mandate where any unvaccinated employees must submit to a company paid COVID-19 rapid antigen test twice a week, while their vaccinated employees would get a $1 raise as the equivalent compensation for the cost of the tests, the company was subject to calls for a boycott by anti-vaccination groups.[9] However, there was also a wave of public support around Canada for the business in reaction to this hostility, although it was not clear how the activism of either side was affecting sales.[10] Company vice-president Ashley Chapman said on CBC Radio's As It Happens that the boycott had no effect on the company's bottom line.[11]

Facilities

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Production is centred in Markdale, with two plants located in the town; the 65,000 square feet (6,000 m2) smaller plant is a nut facility, while the larger 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) plant is nut-free. The company also operates a 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) distribution centre south of town on Highway 10. There is another distribution centre in Hampton, New Brunswick to serve the Atlantic provinces. Chapman's owns a wastewater treatment plant to purify 675,000 litres (178,000 US gal) of wastewater daily produced from the cleaning and production processes.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Jermyn, Diane (June 3, 2003). "Through fire, divorce and cancer, businesses turn setbacks into success". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "New Batch WWT System Reduces Costs, Sludge". www.watertechonline.com. Endeavour Business Media LLC. March 1, 2002. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  3. ^ "High-tech wastewater system for ice cream firm". Environmental Science and Engineering Magazine. January 2001. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Chapman's Ice Cream". Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
  5. ^ a b "Our Story". www.chapmans.ca. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  6. ^ "Fire destroys Chapman's ice cream plant in Markdale". thestar.com. September 4, 2009. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  7. ^ "New Chapmans Ice Cream plant to open Sept. 4, a year after old plant destroyed". The Canadian Press. July 6, 2010. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-07-06 – via 680News.
  8. ^ Golletz, Jennifer (15 December 2020). "This Ontario health unit is working with a local ice cream maker to store the COVID-19 vaccine". Toronto Star. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  9. ^ Stewart, Ashleigh. "'Boycott Chapman's': Why anti-vaccine groups are taking aim at ice cream". Global News. Global Television Network. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  10. ^ Gowan, Rob (24 November 2021). "Chapman's overwhelmed at support amid anti-vaxxers' calls for boycott". Owen Sound Sun Times. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Chapman's Ice Cream faces backlash and boycott over vaccination policy". CBC Radio. CBC. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
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