A southern CPG staple and culinary-focused frozen dessert brand, High Road Ice Cream has spent 2021 with an eye on expansion. Late last year the creamery acquired the Wisconsin manufacturing plant of Three Twins Ice Cream and in January followed that move by acquiring the organic ice cream pioneer’s brand, recipes and IP with plans to subsequently relaunch Three Twins as a premium offering focused on creative flavor combinations. The plant is helping the company expand its distribution, opening new shipping corridors for High Road, which formerly had produced solely from its Georgia plant.
In addition to taking on Three Twins, the company continued its expansion of its newest product line, Helados La Neta, a line of Mexican-inspired helados. Also on the docket was a rebrand of its flagship line, High Road -- a move that saw its brand Wallops fold into the High Road line, creating a more consistent consumer experience.
The company has also dedicated significant resources to social justice and diversity initiatives. With two new female executives joining the team this year, High Road brought female leadership representation at the company to over 70%. Meanwhile, CEO Keith Schroeder has continued his efforts to support the company’s Black employees, who represent a significant portion of the High Road’s workforce, through town halls, working with team members on social justice initiatives and creating a safe space for employees to express their feelings.
“The range of stories were troubling – there were tears, there were shouts and frustration,” Schroeder told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution during the summer of 2020. “It led me to believe that businesses focus so much on productivity and getting it done that there is some loss of humanness in our work day.”
