The Mega-Success of Ben and Jerry's

The second value the company espouses is to use only wholesome, natural ingredients. They began their operation on this premise, utilizing fresh Vermont milk and cream to create their frozen concoctions. During a period of volatility in the dairy market in 1991, the company went so far as to pay a dairy premium totaling a half million dollars to combat Vermont dairy farmers' losses. This helped protect the family farmers who supplied the milk for Ben and Jerry's ice cream.  .
             The combination of good product and good marketing over the years has enabled Ben and Jerry's to increase sales and maintain profitability year after year. The company has progressed from an initial investment of $12,000 to a company worth $326 million dollars when Unilever acquired it in the year 2000. Sales increased year after year, often more than 100 percent over the previous year. Constantly adding new product, resurrecting old product and successfully marketing that which consistently sells has propelled the company to the forefront of the ice cream industry.  .
             One of the fundamental values that Ben and Jerry's has lived since Day One has been their involvement in the community in which they live and the global community as a whole. Since its inception, the company has taken an active role in trying to improve the quality of life for their neighbors. Its states this specifically in its mission statement as it "recognizes the central role that business plays in society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally & internationally. In 1985, the company established the Ben and Jerry's Foundation with an initial gift from Ben and Jerry. In 1988, the foundation netted Ben & Jerry's the Corporate Giving Award from the Council on Economic Priorities, presented by Joanne Woodward at a reception in New York City, by donating 7.5 percent of its pre-tax income to non-profit organizations through the Ben & Jerry's Foundation.