# Ben & Jerry's

> Ben & Jerry's is a Vermont-born ice cream company founded in 1978 by childhood friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. Known for chunky, oddly-named pints like Cherry Garcia and Half Baked, it built a business that pairs premium frozen desserts with loud social and environmental campaigning. Owned by Unilever since 2000 and folded into the spun-off Magnum Ice Cream Company in 2025, the brand sells through grocery, scoop shops, delivery and its own franchises worldwide - while its founders publicly fight to keep its activist mission intact.

- **Founded:** 1978
- **Headquarters:** South Burlington, Vermont, United States
- **Founders:** Ben Cohen (Co-founder), Jerry Greenfield (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** ~1,800 employees
- **Products:** Pint ice cream, Non-dairy / vegan line, Scoop Shops, Non-pint formats, Delivery & e-commerce
- **Notable:** Grew from a single 1978 gas-station scoop shop into a brand sold in more than 35 countries, Sold to Unilever in 2000 for $326 million while negotiating an independent board to protect its social mission, Pioneered activist marketing in consumer packaged goods, tying flavors to social causes

## Products & services

- **Pint ice cream** — Signature chunky, mix-in-heavy pints sold in grocery and convenience retail, including flagship flavors Cherry Garcia, Half Baked, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Chunky Monkey.
- **Non-dairy / vegan line** — Plant-based pints on oat, almond and sunflower bases, offering vegan versions of core flavors like Cherry Garcia Non-Dairy.
- **Scoop Shops** — Company-owned and franchised ice cream parlors serving cones, sundaes, and custom orders worldwide.
- **Non-pint formats** — Mini cups, topped ice cream, sundaes, gift cards, catering, and Dog Desserts for pets.
- **Delivery & e-commerce** — Direct-to-consumer shipping and on-demand delivery via partners such as DoorDash.
- **Factory tours** — Public tours of the Waterbury, Vermont plant, a longtime tourist attraction.

## Achievements

- Grew from a single 1978 gas-station scoop shop into a brand sold in more than 35 countries
- Sold to Unilever in 2000 for $326 million while negotiating an independent board to protect its social mission
- Pioneered activist marketing in consumer packaged goods, tying flavors to social causes
- Built one of the most recognized non-dairy/vegan pint lines in the category
- Long-running Greyston open-hiring partnership, active since the early 1990s

## Latest updates

- **2025-09** — Co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigned after nearly 50 years, saying parent Unilever had silenced the brand's activism.
- **2025-11** — Unilever spun off its ice cream division into The Magnum Ice Cream Company, listed in London, Amsterdam and New York; Ben & Jerry's moved under the new parent.
- **2025-12** — Ben & Jerry's independent board ousted its chair and introduced nine-year term limits amid governance disputes with the new parent.
- **2026-07** — The long-running Ben & Jerry's vs. Unilever lawsuit over control of the brand's social mission reached a crucial stage.

## Links

- Website: https://benjerry.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/ben-&-jerry's
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/benandjerrys
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/benandjerrys
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/benandjerrys
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/benandjerrys
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benandjerrys

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/ben-jerry-s
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-13