Jack and Ila Crowe, the late founders of Kawartha Dairy, are among the 11 inductees of the inaugural Business Hall of Fame for the City of Kawartha Lakes.
Junior Achievement of Northern and Eastern Ontario (JA-NEO) announced the inductees at Launch Kawartha in Lindsay on Wednesday (January 25).
Jack and Ila Crowe founded their family business when they purchased a small dairy in Bobcaygeon in 1937. They expanded in 1942 by purchasing another Bobcaygeon dairy, but did not start producing ice cream — now Kawartha Dairy’s flagship product — until the mid-1950s. They expanded to Minden in the early 1960s and today Kawartha Dairy operates 10 retail stores and services and supplies ice cream, butter, and milk to retailers, restaurants, and large large grocery chains including Loblaws, Sobeys, and Wal-Mart, as well as providing custom production services to other food companies.
The other nine inductees are Tania-Joy Bartlett of New Beginnings Contracting Services, the late Jim Bogar of Cameron Steel, Nicki and Dedes Costas of Olympia Restaurant, Liz Grimes of Cathy Allan Ladieswear, Ted Smith of TS Manufacturing, Jeff Strybosch of Kawartha Wholesale Bakery, and Jason and Karissa Ward of Ward Lawyers.
“JA-NEO is excited to unveil the inaugural class of inductees to the first ever JA Business Hall of Fame for the City of Kawartha Lakes,” saiad JA-NEO president and CEO John McNutt. “These exceptional business leaders are helping to inspire and show local youth that starting your own business can be rewarding and last multiple generations much like the business leaders being honored today.”
A formal induction ceremony will be held on May 11 at Mackey Celebrations in downtown Lindsay.
