Chapman’s workers are once again churning out ice cream in Markdale.
President Penny Chapman says they are starting up their first production line in town since the fire that destroyed their plant on September 4th.
The plan was to start production on Wednesday but Chapman says they ran into some minor problems and production will begin on Thursday.
Chapman says after the fire, she and husband Dave Chapman set an ambitious goal of getting back into operation within six weeks.
Chapman says it’s taken a lot of hard work but they’ve been able to set up a temporary facility at their storage building just down the street from the original plant.
She says they were even able to squeeze in an emergency trip to an auction in Florida in order to buy the equipment needed to get them started.
About 25 workers will man the production line.
Chapman says they’ll be starting with the very first product they ever made back in 1973 – the two litre black, cardboard boxes of ice cream.
She hopes that next week they’ll start a second production line to make their private label items, and the week after that she wants to have a third line making Chapman’s two litre plastic tubs of premium ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt.
Chapman says every time they begin a new production line, they will be able to bring 25 people back to work in Markdale.
She says all their 350 employees are working right now – it’s just that they’re spread out all over.
About 80 workers have been at facilities in Belleville and Stoney Creek, with Chapman’s paying for their transportation and room and board.
Chapman says family businesses across the province have stepped up to help the company – and Chapman’s ice cream has been made in Belleville, Stoney Creek, Renfrew, and St. Thomas.
Chapman says it’s great to get families back together in Markdale – and the final goal is to have all Chapman’s production back in town.
To that end, Chapman’s is already breaking ground on a new state of the art ice cream plant on a 20-acre plot of land next to the temporary facility.
Chapman says it will be the biggest of its kind in Canada – and perhaps all of North America.
Chapman says while they never wanted it to happen this way – the company is looking at the silver lining in being able to design a new plant exactly the way they want it.
She says for 36 years, they worked out of an old creamery building and had to keep putting on additions as the company grew.
Chapman says they are fittingly calling the company’s rebirth “Project Phoenix”.
She hopes to open the new ice cream plant on April 1st.