and luxurious. At the end of the
process, the ice cream comes out on
the other end, ready to be packaged
for sale.
Each container of Wilcox ice
cream is packaged by hand, from
the four-ounce cups to the three-
gallon tubs. Usually, Wilcox’s
resident fourth-generation craftsman
extraordinaire and “flavor master”
Howard is manning the front end
of the machine, while his daughter,
Christina, is on the other end
filling the various-size containers
at breakneck speed. It’s a beautiful
sight to see generations of a
family business working seamlessly
together at such a fast pace, but for
the Wilcox family, it’s just another
day on the job. In the words of
Christina herself, “As long as my dad
is feeding mix into the machine, I’m
on the other end filling it.”
In addition to ice cream, the Wilcox
operation has expanded to include
numerous delicious treats and
business ventures. One of the things
that kept them going through the
trials and tribulations after the fire
was their ability to adapt and employ
new operational strategies. To that
end, they have become a distribution
hub for hundreds of different
kinds of tasty goods for several
other companies. More than 1,200
products—ranging from cookies and
snacks to gluten-free foods, baked
goods, and ice cream bars—are
stocked in their enormous walk-in
freezer. They take pride in their
ability to coordinate efficient delivery
logistics and to help both small, local
businesses and national corporations
with distribution to local shops and
TOP: Howard A. Wilcox with grandson Austin and daughter Christina
BOTTOM: Brothers Gerald and Howard Wilcox stocking the shelves
manchester life magazine 2020 91