Velvet Ice Cream signs exclusive agreement with Ricker's

Utica, Ohio (March 29, 2010) – Velvet Ice Cream has signed an agreement with Ricker's to be the exclusive ice cream provider for the Indiana-based chain of convenient stores.

Ricker's has 28 convenient stores in the Indiana cities of Anderson and Ft. Wayne.

Velvet began supplying Ricker's stores in March.

"We have been in a growth mode in Indiana for the past six years. This partnership with Ricker's helps to strengthen our visibility in the state," said Luconda Dager, president of Velvet Ice Cream. "We recently opened a new distribution center in Ft. Wayne to help facilitate this growth."

Like Velvet, Ricker's is a family business. Dager said she sees the partnership as an opportunity for both companies to grow together.

Headquartered at Ye Olde' Mill in Utica, Ohio, Velvet Ice Cream has been a family owned and operated business for nearly 100 years. Founded in 1914 by family patriarch Joseph Dager, Velvet has been run by four generations of the Dager family. Each year, Velvet produces more than five million gallons of ice cream, which can be found in freezer cases throughout the Midwest and Florida. The historic Ye Olde' Mill, which houses the company headquarters, an ice cream museum and restaurant, attracts more than 150,000 visitors a year.

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Robin Yocum
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