Jerry's departure from Ben & Jerry's detailed by Ben
In a surprising turn of events, Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of the iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's, has announced his resignation from the company he helped establish nearly five decades ago. The decision comes amidst ongoing conflicts with the parent company, Unilever, which plans to spin off the ice cream business into a separate entity called Magnum Ice Cream Company.
The roots of Ben & Jerry's can be traced back to a small homemade ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont, established in 1978 on an initial investment of just $8,000. The brand, known for its social activism and unique flavors, has since grown into a global phenomenon.
Ben Cohen, Greenfield's former business partner, has been vocal about the overt political aspects of Ben & Jerry's, in contrast to many other businesses that are covert in their political activities. Cohen believes that businesses are inherently political, with many using their money to influence elections and legislation.
Tensions between Ben & Jerry's and Unilever boiled over in recent years, particularly when the ice cream company opted to pull its operations from Israel. This decision was overruled by Unilever. The conflict has resulted in lawsuits and publicly posted letters, causing a rift between the co-founders and the parent company.
Despite the conflict, Cohen is committed to the brand's three-part mission: a social mission, a product mission, and a financial mission. He intends to keep this mission intact and is working to convince Unilever to sell the brand to a group of investors committed to Ben & Jerry's social mission.
Cohen describes his journey with Greenfield as an "amazing ride," an "amazing adventure," and an "amazing odyssey," filled with good times, bad times, and challenging times, which has strengthened their bond. He assures that the "spirit of Jerry" will always be at Ben & Jerry's.
Jerry Greenfield, in his resignation statement, did not elaborate on the reasons for his departure beyond the conflicts with Unilever. Unilever, for its part, did not provide separate sales figures for the ice cream division but reported a 3.7% rise in sales in its 2024 annual earnings report.
The Magnum Ice Cream Company, the new entity that will house Ben & Jerry's, is expected to go public in mid-November. The future of Ben & Jerry's remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the brand's commitment to its social mission remains unwavering.
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