Chapman's is a Canadian manufacturer of
ice cream. It is the largest independent ice cream and ice water manufacturer in Canada.
Chapman's produces products under the company brand name, as well as store brand products. They are also known for their range of ice creams for people with special dietary needs. Chapman's products are distributed nationally.
The company was founded by David and Penny Chapman in 1973. Their son, Ashley, currently runs the business.
History
In 1973, David and Penny Chapman purchased the Creamery in Markdale, Ontario, a village just south of
Georgian Bay. The company started out as a small creamery with four employees and two trucks.
In 2001, a distribution center was opened in New Brunswick to better serve Chapman's Atlantic Canada.
On September 4, 2009, a major fire gutted the Chapman's creamery. No employees were hurt in the blaze. Chapman's had been using a smaller plant since the fire.
On September 4, 2010 they opened its new facility on the anniversary of the destruction of the old plant. The smaller plant was converted into a nut facility, while the addition of the new plant became a nut-free facility (the larger of the two plants is about quadruple the size of the old one) allowed the hiring of 50 to 100 new employees.
During the
COVID-19 pandemic, when the
Pfizer and
Moderna vaccine
The Moderna COVID19 vaccine (INN: elasomeran), sold under the brand name Spikevax, is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by American company Moderna, the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Biomedi ...
s were being readied for distribution, which require strong refrigeration for storage, Chapman's volunteered the use of their industrial freezers for the Grey Bruce Health Unit for the vials. When the company decided upon a
vaccine mandate
A vaccination policy is a health policy adopted in order to prevent the spread of infectious disease. These policies are generally put into place by State or local governments, but may also be set by private facilities, such as workplaces or s ...
where any unvaccinated employees must submit to a company paid
COVID-19 rapid antigen test twice a week, while their vaccinated employees would get a $1 raise as the equivalent compensation for the cost of the tests, the company was subject to calls for a boycott by
anti-vaccination groups. However, there was also a wave of public support around Canada for the business in reaction to this hostility, although it was not clear how the activism of either side was affecting sales. Company vice-president Ashley Chapman said on CBC Radio's ''
As It Happens'' that the boycott had no effect on the company's bottom line.
Facilities
Productions centred in Markdale, with two plants located in the town, the smaller plant is a nut facility, while the larger plant is nut-free. The company also operates a distribution centre south of town on Highway 10. There is another distribution centre in Hampton, New Brunswick to serve the Atlantic provinces. Chapman's owns a wastewater treatment plant to purify of wastewater daily produced from the cleaning and production processes.
References
{{reflist
External links
"The Story of Chapman's Ice Cream" at the official website
* ttps://esemag.com/archives/high-tech-wastewater-system-for-ice-cream-firm-4/ An article describing how their waste water is treatedbr>Tourist information and a brief company history Technical article describing their water treatment system
Food and drink companies established in 1973
Food and drink companies of Canada
Ice cream brands
1973 establishments in Ontario