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New owners scoop up ice cream business
Photo by Bethany Fuller
Barbara Alarcon Young, Bob Stamey and his son David sit in front of their new business venture, Mooresville Ice Cream Co.
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Published: September 19, 2009
The sale of Mooresville Ice Cream Inc. and the DeLuxe Ice Cream brand to the owners of Stamey Farms and an Ecuadorean family was finalized on Thursday.
Bob and David Stamey and Barbara Alarcon Young closed on the deal, which included the facilities on Broad Street in Mooresville, the DeLuxe name and the proprietary rights, for an undisclosed amount.
The new company, Mooresville Ice Cream Co. LLC, will retain all 14 employees in the office, including route salesmen, along with the production facility and the ice cream parlor.
"It is a high-quality ice cream that has been around for a long time," said Young, who earned her masters in business administration at Harvard University.
"There is a lot of stories and history. It is a good size investment. It had a decent customer base."
Young's family, the Alarcons, owns the Topsy ice cream brand in Ecuador and also produces yogurt.
Young said they have 8,500 ice cream cabinets and 75,000 to 80,000 yogurt clients.
She said her father, Francisco, called Bob Stamey several months back to inquire about buying a dairy-processing company in the United States, preferably in the Southeast.
Francisco is a longtime cattle client of Staley's and personal friend.
The Stamey family has been farming in Iredell County since 1951. The farm is best known for exporting cattle around the world, a business that began in 1975.
David Stamey said when they were thinking about the possibilities, DeLuxe brand, which they grew up on, instantly came to mind. After making some inquiries with the Millsaps family, who have operated the Mooresville Ice Cream Co. since 1924, Stamey and the Alarcons made an offer.
"They are going to bring their expertise," Bob Stamey said of the Alarcons.
"It's been family owned since 1924 and it's going to continue to be that way."
Gene and Buddy Millsaps will stay on as consultants. Their sister, Carol Sloop, will remain the office manager.
Brett French has been named general manager of the company.
David Stamey said the plan is to use cream from dairies in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, including Stamey Farms.
The family has been in the cattle business since 1951.
Young said a stick novelty machine is on order from Italy to make items, such as the Mooresville Bar.
"We do think there is a lot of opportunity to grow," she said.
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