Gifford’s

What Gifford’s does

Gifford's Ice Cream is a fifth-generation, family-owned ice cream manufacturer headquartered at 25 Hathaway Street in Skowhegan, Maine (legal entity Gifford's Dairy, Inc.). The company produces premium ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, and sorbet under the Gifford's and 'HomeMaine' brands, serving three primary customer segments: consumers visiting its three family-owned scoop stands in Skowhegan, Bangor, and Waterville (with a fourth in Farmington); regional grocery shoppers across New England buying pints and quarts in retail chains including Market Basket; and food service and sports venue customers such as colleges, universities, restaurants, and Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots).

The product portfolio spans over 100 flavors made from scratch using fresh cream and milk sourced from local dairy farms, with 90% of bases and flavor ripples produced in-house. Production relies on 1940s-era Cherry Burrell slow-churning freezers and a subfreezing hardening tunnel reaching -60 degrees for up to eight hours, a deliberate traditional-craftsmanship posture that anchors the brand's premium positioning. The portfolio includes award-winning core SKUs (World's Best Chocolate, World's Best Vanilla, Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Yogurt), sports-co-branded SKUs (Dough Your Job for the Patriots, Power Play Fudge for the Bruins, Full Court Pretz for the Celtics), and seasonally rotating flavors. All products are kosher certified (not for Passover) by Quality Kosher Supervision.

Revenue mechanics are multi-channel and predominantly one-time unit-based pricing with no disclosed subscription or licensing model. Channels include direct retail at family stands (with mini golf at Skowhegan and Waterville, plus DoorDash/ToastTab online ordering), grocery distribution in pints and quarts across New England and parts of the Mid-Atlantic (Maryland, Virginia, DC), food service supply, and exclusive or co-branded concessions at major sports venues. The company sells more than 2 million gallons of ice cream annually through grocery and food service and serves over 1 million cones annually at its family stands. Distribution outside New England is supported by a wholesale partnership with Tankersley Foods covering Arkansas and parts of Oklahoma. The company is privately held by the Gifford family, currently led by CEO Lindsay Skilling and COO J.C. Gifford (both fifth generation).

Name

Gifford’s

Legal name

Gifford's Dairy, Inc.

Website

https://giffordsicecream.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Gifford's is a fifth-generation, family-owned ice cream manufacturer based in Skowhegan, Maine, producing over 100 premium flavors distributed through family scoop stands, New England grocery retail, food service, and exclusive sports venue partnerships including the New England Patriots and Boston Bruins.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Ice Cream Manufacturing

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (31152), Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers (42442)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC), Dairy-Based Frozen Novelties Manufacturing (Bars, Sandwiches, Cones) (AFAHAEAG)

Keywords

• Premium ice cream manufacturing
• Frozen dairy desserts
• Family scoop stands
• Ice cream wholesale distribution
• Specialty frozen yogurt

Headquarters

HQ city

Skowhegan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Ice Cream Sales at Family Stands: Direct-to-consumer ice cream sales at 3-5 family-owned and operated ice cream stands in Maine, selling cones, sundaes, frappes, and hand-packed ice cream
2. Grocery/Retail Distribution: Selling pints and quarts of ice cream through grocery stores, independent ice cream shops, and food service locations throughout New England and beyond
3. Food Service and Partner Channels: Supplying ice cream to colleges, universities, restaurants, and sports venues including Gillette Stadium
4. Mini Golf Operations: Mini golf courses operated at Skowhegan and Waterville stand locations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Gifford's is a fifth-generation family-owned ice cream manufacturer that produces premium ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, and sorbet from scratch in over 100 unique flavors. Products are made in Skowhegan, Maine using antique 1940s Cherry Burrell slow-churning freezers and locally-sourced Maine dairy, with 90% of bases and flavor ripples produced in-house, and sold in pint and quart containers through grocery retail throughout New England and directly to consumers at three family-owned scoop stands.

Product overview

Gifford's is a fifth-generation, family-owned ice cream company that produces premium ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, and sorbet products. The core product portfolio includes over 100 unique flavors sold in pint and quart containers at retail grocery stores throughout New England, plus served at the company's three family-owned scoop stands in Maine (Bangor, Waterville, Skowhegan). Additional offerings include a mobile Scoop Shack for events, mini golf at two stand locations, sundaes/frappes/parfaits at stands, and branded merchandise. The company holds sports team sponsorships creating limited-edition flavors for the New England Patriots (Dough Your Job), Boston Bruins (Power Play Fudge), and Boston Celtics (Full Court Pretz). Production takes place at the Skowhegan, Maine facility using antique Cherry Burrell slow-churning equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ice Cream (Pint) Premium slow-churned ice cream sold in 16oz pint containers at grocery stores throughout New England, made from scratch with fresh milk and cream from local Maine dairy farms and churned in antique Cherry Burrell freezers.
• Ice Cream (Quart) Premium slow-churned ice cream sold in 32oz quart containers at grocery stores, made from scratch with local Maine dairy and churned in antique Cherry Burrell freezers across the same flavor lineup as pints.
• Frozen Yogurt Low-fat frozen yogurt produced from scratch in flavors such as Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip. Awarded World's Best Frozen Yogurt at the World Dairy Expo.
• Sherbet Frozen fruit-based dessert including Orange Sherbet and Rainbow Sherbet, made from scratch using the same production methods as Gifford's ice cream.
• Sorbet Fruit-based frozen desserts including Red Raspberry Sorbet, Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet, and Passion Fruit Mango Sangria Sorbet.
• Family-Owned Scoop Stands Direct-to-consumer ice cream retail locations in Skowhegan, Bangor, and Waterville, Maine, serving cones, sundaes, frappes, hand-packed pints and quarts, and other menu items daily from 11:00am to 9:30pm. Online ordering available via ToastTab and DoorDash.
• Scoop Shack on Wheels (Mobile) Mobile 20-foot ice cream trailer that brings the full family-stand experience to events throughout New England, with state-of-the-art cold storage serving 15-20 flavors plus sundaes and frappes.
• Mini Golf Mini golf courses available at the Waterville and Skowhegan stand locations, open daily 11:00am to 8:30pm weather permitting, as part of the family-stand experience.
• Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including t-shirts, hats, and other items available for purchase online and at family-owned stand locations.
• Gift Cards Gift certificates available for purchase at family-owned stand locations and online for redemption at the scoop stands.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 consecutive World Dairy Expo Ice Cream Grand Champion titles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Cal Ripken World SeriesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2022Gifford's named the 2022 Cal Ripken World Series Ice Cream of Choice. Created limited edition 'Graham Slam' flavor for the tournament hosted in Waterville, Maine.
• Boston CelticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Multi-year partnership making Gifford's the official ice cream of the Boston Celtics. Custom flavor 'Full Court Pretz' created in honor of the team.
• New England PatriotscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 July 2019Multi-year sponsorship naming Gifford's the Official Ice Cream of the New England Patriots. Custom flavor 'Dough Your Job' created to honor the team and fans. Available at Gillette Stadium and throughout New England.
• Boston BruinscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20163-year partnership announced in 2016. Custom ice cream flavor 'Power Play Fudge' created for the Bruins. Multi-year sponsorship continued.
• L.L. BeanminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012L.L. Bean chose Gifford's to make 'Muddy Bean Boots' - a special edition ice cream for L.L. Bean's 100th anniversary celebration
• Maine CelticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Ice Cream of the Maine Celtics
• Portland Sea DogsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Ice Cream partner of the Portland Sea Dogs minor league baseball team
• Oakhurst DairyminorOthersIn 1983, the milk portion of Gifford's dairy business was sold to Oakhurst Dairy. John and Roger purchased the ice cream business from their parents.
• Travis Mills FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partnership supporting Travis Mills Foundation. Gifford's celebrated 30 years in Bangor while supporting the foundation.
• Florida-based Family Ice Cream CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing the February 2023 fire at Skowhegan plant, Gifford's partnered with a family-owned Florida ice cream company to temporarily produce ice cream for stands using Gifford's recipes and specifications.
• Tankersley FoodsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partnership with Tankersley Foods enabling Gifford's products to reach customers in Arkansas and parts of Oklahoma.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Graeter's Ice Cream: Fourth-generation, family-owned premium ice cream manufacturer based in Cincinnati with retail scoop shops, grocery distribution, and franchise operations. Direct comparable to Gifford's on heritage, craft positioning, and multi-channel distribution in a regional stronghold.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Premium craft ice cream brand with scoop shops, pints distributed nationally, and a reputation for distinctive flavors. Comparable to Gifford's on craft positioning, scoop-shop-as-brand-build, and grocery pint distribution, though Jeni's has achieved broader national scale and venture backing.
• Amy's Ice Creams: Austin-based premium ice cream chain known for family-owned scoop shops with creative flavors and a strong experiential brand. Directly comparable to Gifford's on premium scoop-shop model and craft flavor positioning, though concentrated in Texas rather than New England.
• Bassett's Ice Cream: Fifth-generation, family-owned Philadelphia ice cream maker with retail locations, grocery distribution, and a long heritage of premium flavors. Closely comparable to Gifford's on multi-generational family ownership, regional stronghold, and premium scoop-shop-plus-grocery model.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium craft ice cream brand with scoop shops, nationally distributed pints, and a strong digital/brand presence. Comparable to Gifford's on craft positioning, scoop-shop-plus-grocery model, and premium flavor innovation, but with national scale and outside capital.

Broad incumbents

• Tillamook County Creamery Association: Farmer-owned dairy cooperative producing premium ice cream (among many dairy products) with national grocery distribution and a strong regional heritage brand. Comparable to Gifford's on premium dairy sourcing and grocery positioning, but operates at much greater scale and broader scope.
• Ben & Jerry's Homemade: National premium ice cream brand owned by Unilever, offering pints, scoop shops, and co-branded partnerships. Comparable to Gifford's on premium positioning, flavor innovation, and values-driven branding, but operates at vastly greater scale with global distribution.
• Häagen-Dazs: Iconic premium ice cream brand owned by Nestlé with national grocery and foodservice distribution, including pints, quarts, and scoop shop presence. Comparable to Gifford's on premium positioning, but with global brand reach and parent-company scale.
• Blue Bunny (Wells Enterprises): Large family-owned U.S. ice cream manufacturer offering a wide portfolio of novelties, pints, and tubs across mainstream grocery. Comparable to Gifford's on family ownership and ice cream manufacturing, but at far greater scale and with broader mass-market positioning.

Regional players

• Crescent Ridge Dairy: Family-owned New England dairy delivering milk, ice cream, and other dairy products via home delivery and retail. Comparable to Gifford's on regional New England dairy heritage, family ownership, and premium positioning, but with a home-delivery-led model and broader dairy portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GiffordsMaine
• Facebookfacebook.com/GiffordsIceCreamMaine
• LinkedIntwitter.com/GiffordsMaine
• Instagraminstagram.com/giffordsmaine
• Pinterestpinterest.com/giffordsmaine

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gifford’s