Work Is Just A Bowl
Of Black Cherry
LYNNE KONSTANTIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
ary Giller's favorite ice-
cream flavor is fat-free black
cherry. Fat-free? Has he
taste-tested a few too many
scoops of Stroh's Ice Cream since
taking over father Stuart Giller's
seat as president in January? "No,"
he says, "It's creamy and soft; I like
the flavor of it best."
Most Detroiters are familiar
with the Stroh's label. Probably,
though, the tie-in between ice
cream and beer is not quite as fa-
miliar a story.
Long before ice cream was a
glimmer in the Giller family freez-
er, Stroh's was known solely for its
brewery. Prohibition, however,
changed the Stroh's reputation for-
ever. In 1919, the brewery's equip-
ment was sitting idly, and rather
than going bankrupt, someone
came up with the idea of using it
to manufacture ice cream.
"I don't know how they went
from beer to ice cream," says the
37-year-old Mr. Giller, "but I'm
glad they did."
Mr. Giller's father purchased
Stroh's ice-cream product division
in 1990. Since that time, sales and
employment have doubled. Fur-
thermore, annual production has
tripled from 1.5 to 4.5 million gal-
lons. That's a whole lotta ice cream
headaches.
After receiving an undergradu-
ate business degree from Atlanta's
Emory University in 1980, Gary
Giller worked for
eight years in sales
and marketing for
Coca-Cola. Returning
to his native Cleve-
land, he attended
Case Western Re-
serve, earning a master's in busi-
ness administration in 1990. Giller
again applied his marketing skills,
this time with NACCO Enter-
prises in Cleveland, until he joined
the Stroh's family, taking over the
helm of the ice-cream division.
Although he has been commut-
ing to Detroit from Cleveland since
January, a Giller family transplant
is in process. His wife, Detroit na-
tive Liz Fuller, is glad to be com-
ing home.
"We have made dear friends
here (Cleveland) whom we will
miss, but (Liz) grew up in the De-
trait area. We are looking forward
to the move." The family plans to
renew Ms. Fuller's membership at
Temple Israel in Birmingham,
where the Gillers were married
seven years ago. Mr. Giller points
out that he also was bar mitzvah
at Temple Israel, but in Akron.
Now that he's taken over the
company as president, Mr. Giller
plans to focus on the core product
line, continuing the traditions peo-
ple love about Stroh's. At the same
time, he will apply his sales and
marketing savvy to improve the
company's existing potential in De-
troit.
Mr. Giller plans a
back-to-basics in pack-
aging, as well as mar-
keting improvements in
Stroh's two subsidiary
brands, Nafziger's and
Mooney's.
Mooney's, an ice cream manu-
facturer since 1927, was acquired
by Stroh's ten years ago. A favorite
in the resort areas of northern
Michigan, it ranks No. 1 in sales
in its market. Nafziger's, howev-
er, is a more recent success story.
Acquired in January out of bank-
ruptcy, it also now ranks first in
Toledo, where it is primarily sold.
The takeover, Mr. Giller says,
was "perfect for us. They had a
similar market position, and their
premium ice creams fit in well
with our existing line." Promo-
tional activity is being strength-
ened, and distribution has in-
creased to northwest Ohio.
Because customers are familiar
with and like the distinct
Nafziger's taste, Mr. Giller has de-
cided not to tamper with the
recipes. He says that retaining the
distinction in flavor extends to all
three brands — Stroh's, Mooney's
and Nafziger's —including three
separate vanillas.
Even with these distinct lines,
how can Stroh's compete with the
big-name nationals like Ben and
Jerry's who promote all-natural
ingredients and healthy living?
"Stroh's also uses only natural
ingredients. But ifs a different cat-
egory of ice cream. Ours is consid-
ered premium ice cream," he
explains. "Edy's and Breyer's are Stroh's Ice Cream President Gary Gilley"
super-premium ice creams: high- can't help himself.
er butter-fat content and more ex- ter cups and chunks of chocolate.
"This one's not available in fat-
pensive ingredients like peanut
butter and pretzels rolled in choco- free," he laughs.
Mr. Giller goes out on the line
late."
Speaking of flavors, anything every morning to taste-test. There
qual-
new on the home front? Mr. Giller is a whole lab set up just for
says Stroh's is increasing selections ity control.
Once, during a tour of the plant,
in fat-free, low fat and sorbets. Yo-
gurts have declined, he says. Low- he discovered that the chips were
fat ice creams have taken over missing from the mint-chocolate-
'because anyone can eat them, and chip ice cream.
Is it because of chocolate-chip
there's no loss of taste."
One of the flavors he seems mishaps such as this one that Mr.
most excited about — besides the Giller's son, 5-year-old Ben, prefers
fat-free black cherry—is one called vanilla, even with access to all that
Moose Tracks. He describes it as ice cream at Daddy's plant? "No,"
gooey chocolate fudge, peanut but- Mr. Giller replies. "He's just a
ter cups and chunks of chocolate. purist." El
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