Ice cream makes everything better.
It’s a must-have for parties and other times of celebration, a reward after the big win, and a perfect pick-me-up when times are tough or sad.
Ice cream can also help play a part in the revitalization of a neighborhood. Did you know the Pierre’s treats you purchase at your favorite local grocer are made fresh daily with great care at our production facility in Cleveland’s MidTown neighborhood? A two-square mile area between downtown Cleveland and University Circle, MidTown is home to 600 businesses and their 18,000 collective employees – not to mention more than 2,000 residents.
A site of local industry in the early 1900s, the neighborhood was in a period of decline by the 1980s. Initially, MidTown Cleveland, Inc. was formed in 1982 as a grassroots organization dedicated to reversing the decline of the neighborhood and facilitating improvements for the stakeholders (businesses, organizations and residents) and to promote and revitalize the area. Today, MidTown is heralded as one of the best urban business districts for traditional and new economy corporations in the region.
Pierre’s Ice Cream Company is proud to be a part of MidTown’s past and our role as a pioneer in its continued renaissance. We trace our roots back 84 years ago to a tiny storefront at East 82nd Street and Euclid Avenue – and have been growing ever since.
Humble Beginnings
In 1932, not far from the heart of MidTown, Alexander “Pierre” Basset dreamed of marketing a “premium ice cream which would be unsurpassed” (thus the brand name Pierre’s and the indulgent recipes that are still used today). Mr. Basset and his team prepared gourmet ice creams in the back of his store and sold them by the cone, the cup, or hand-packed for taking home. Clevelanders delighted over the delicious treats, and it didn’t take long for Pierre’s to outgrow its small space on Euclid Avenue.
After a series of moves – to locations each one bigger than the last – Mr. Basset set up shop at East 60th Street and Hough Avenue, sharing a facility with another small ice cream maker, Royal Ice Cream Company. Owned by Sol Roth, Royal, like Pierre’s, was a small shop that had big standards when it came to flavor and quality.
By 1960, Royal acquired Mr. Basset’s company. Mr. Roth showcased the Pierre’s brand and dedicated most of his resources to expanding its product line. With more products came increased distribution – for the first time in retail stores and ice cream parlors beyond Cuyahoga County.
In the years that followed, Mr. Roth made numerous expansions and relocations, but with each move always stayed within three miles of Pierre’s original location out of a commitment to the customers who first made his products famous.
In 1991, Mr. Roth’s daughter, Shelley, took over the company as CEO. Soon after, she orchestrated one of the largest developments in the history of the brand – and of MidTown.
New for the 90s
By the mid-1990s, the frozen dessert industry had changed. There was more competition than ever. Dramatic shifts were taking place in the food business as consolidation occurred amongst retail outlets, competitors, and suppliers. For regional businesses like Pierre’s, a new, more sophisticated approach to distribution was essential for the company to thrive.
Ms. Roth and her colleagues designed a master plan that called for construction of a new distribution center and corporate headquarters as Phase I, followed by a new production facility for Phase II in order to remain competitive. When the question of where to build this new facility arose, the answer was clear … to remain in MidTown.
The decision to stay in MidTown was applauded by city leaders and urban planners. This move provided the “anchor” tenant in a neighborhood that was in need of attention and investment.
In 1995 Ms. Roth opened the doors to Pierre’s state-of-the-art distribution center and office complex at East 65th and Euclid Avenue – just one mile west of the tiny storefront that started it all. What was once a vacant lot surrounded by old, underutilized buildings and requiring environmental remediation, had become the new home of Cleveland’s beloved ice cream.
Looking Ahead
For years, our ice cream was produced in a two-story, 1920s-era factory. Ice cream continued to be produced in the old factory on Carnegie Avenue, frozen, and was trucked 600 feet to the new distribution center that opened in 1995. In the early 2000s, we were ready for not only a more conveniently located production facility, but also one that would bring us more efficiency.
In 2011, Ms. Roth implemented Phase II of our master plan – “the second scoop” of urban development, if you will. In June of that year, we officially opened a new $9.2 million factory – a 35,000-square-foot addition to our headquarters and distribution center. From that point forward, our delicious treats are developed, produced, packaged and readied for shipment under the same roof.
The new facility was a milestone for both our company and Cleveland. It features state-of-the-art equipment that makes it easier to produce larger quantities of ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and other goodies – up to eight times more capacity than the previous factory, yet protect its homemade goodness. As part of our commitment to sustainability, the plant’s system recycles cold and hot air from the production process and refrigeration systems to heat and cool the rest of the complex.
As she cut a ceremonial grand-opening ribbon at the entrance to the facility, Ms. Roth, who was joined by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and former U.S. Senator George Voinovich, remarked, “This new factory not only provides our experienced team the space and resources to continue making the most delicious ice creams, but it will also allow us to better serve and offer new products to our customers. Today is a very exciting day in the history of the company.”
That day also marked a bright future for both Pierre’s and the MidTown neighborhood.
Committed to Cleveland
MidTown continues to evolve. With the addition of the MidTown Tech Park, the neighborhood can retain and attract innovative start-ups as well as larger-scale enterprises. In addition, Midtown is located in the middle of the Cleveland Health-Tech Corridor, a partnership that connects downtown’s business community with the east side’s biomedical and health sciences community, including Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals.
Pierre’s is the official ice cream of the Cleveland Indians, and we’ve partnered with a local chef to create Pierre’s Chef’s Signature, a line of delicious super premium ice cream.
We show our local pride with Emerald Necklace Premium Ice Cream – a refreshing combination of mint ice cream, fudge and chocolate sandwich cookies in support of the Cleveland Metroparks Trails Fund. Pierre’s Signature Nun Better Snickerdoodle was inspired by the famous, heavenly snickerdoodle cookies of the local Sisters of the Holy Spirit.
We are committed to Cleveland, as an employer, a corporate citizen and as the producer of our town’s finest frozen treats imaginable.
Thank you for supporting us over the years. From our home in MidTown to your home, here’s to Cleveland.
