Honor Perry's Ice Cream Centennial

Assembly Resolution No. 944 BY: M. of A. Norris COMMEMORATING the 100th Anniversary of Perry's Ice Cream WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize the achievements of those businesses which substantially contribute to the economic vitality of their communities and the entire Empire State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, it is the sense of this Legislative Body to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Perry's Ice Cream; and WHEREAS, For a century, Perry's Ice Cream has provided its customers with quality ice cream that has "enough of the good stuff"; and WHEREAS, In 1918, H. Morton Perry purchased a small dairy in Akron, New York; on his first day, he delivered 29 gallons of fresh milk by horse and wagon to customers in town; and WHEREAS, During the Great Depression, H. Morton Perry was asked to make and supply ice cream for the students at Akron High School; using a family recipe, Morton made small batches of mix on the kitchen stove, and then he and his son, Marlo, would freeze the mix in a hand-cranked, two-gallon ice-and-salt freezer and store it for delivery to the school the next day; as demand increased, the father and son team began delivering bulk ice cream to stores and restaurants in and around Akron; and WHEREAS, In the early 1950s, Perry's Ice Cream was one of the first companies to package ice cream in a round pint container; this package, with a plastic window on the lid, was the first product sold under their signature red logo; and WHEREAS, Through the years, Perry's Ice Cream has thrived and prospered; by 1970, the company had outgrown its facility on Pearl Street in Akron, and subsequently, acquired an 8.5-acre parcel within the Village of Akron, and constructed a new storage freezer and distribution facility; and WHEREAS, The state-of-the-art production and office facility was completed in 1982, and was capable of manufacturing six million gallons of ice cream each year, three times more than the original plant; in

2007, Perry's Ice Cream once again modernized their plant by adding new, automated high-speed production lines, equipment, and tanking, as well as a new distribution center; and WHEREAS, Today, Perry's is one of the two largest ice cream manufacturing plants in New York State; its 300 employees make approximately 500 different products totaling over 12 million gallons per year; and WHEREAS, Perry's Ice Cream proudly serves its community through sponsorships and partnerships and by supporting local vendors and farmers as 98% of its milk comes from farms within 50 miles of Akron; and WHEREAS, In addition to producing delicious ice cream, Perry's Ice Cream is devoted to developing the sustainable models necessary for both the human race and Earth to survive by focusing on key challenges identified for their potential impact across all aspects of sustainability: people, planet and performance; by proactively managing its waste, acting responsibly with its natural resources and engaging its team members in sustainable thinking and actions, the company will continue to grow and support its community; and WHEREAS, From its humble beginnings in 1918, Perry's Ice Cream has grown to become a multi-faceted business which continues to produce superior ice cream while protecting its brand, employees and environment; and WHEREAS, For the last 100 years, Perry's Ice Cream has stayed true to H. Morton Perry's original recipe of fresh milk and cream blended with the finest ingredients; currently, the industry leader supplies their premium products to ice cream lovers in over 30 countries; and WHEREAS, It is with great pleasure that this Legislative Body acknowledges this exceptional business and its contributions to the local and State economies, fully confident it will continue to enjoy the sparkling successes it has experienced thus far; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize those businesses within the State of New York which contribute to the economic health and vitality of the communities they serve; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Perry's Ice Cream; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Perry's Ice Cream.