BY: George Dunlap,  C. Nelson and I have had the pleasure to work with the Dager family, owners of Velvet Ice Cream, for over 30 years. We have supplied their ice cream dipping cabinet needs for the Ye Olde Mill as well as for their many scoop shop customers.  The attached blog post from Nicole at A Local Choice tells a great story of, an Ohio business owned by an Ohio family, the Dager family and their great tasting ice cream.  Enjoy the read and enjoy a day trip to Utica, Ohio for a visit to the Ye Olde Mill and when you are there enjoy a scoop of their great tasting ice cream.

A Local Choice Thursday, September 1, 2016 Ice Cream Dreams Velvet Ice Cream

Recently my nephew, a self-proclaimed expert in the field of ice cream, accompanied me on a trip to historic Ye Olde Mill and the Velvet Ice Cream facility in Utica, Ohio. A short drive northeast of Columbus lands you at this 26 acre property where you can not only view your favorite ice cream flavors being made right before your very eyes, but after you work up an appetite touring the scenic grounds and learning the deep rooted history of the company, you can visit the full service restaurant and adjacent ice cream parlor where you are encouraged to eat your dessert first.

My visit began by meeting with a member of the Velvet marketing team, whose job comes with the most delicious of perks – free ice cream! As the story behind one of the oldest family owned

(above the newly designed can holding kit by C. Nelson Mfg., Co.)

and operated ice cream companies in the country was shared, my mind began to fill with thoughts of towering scoops of Raspberry Fudge Cordial, Buckeye Classic, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Cookie Dough Extreme. In 1903 founder Joseph Dager emigrated through Ellis Island from Lebanon in search of the American dream. As other family members went to work in the Cleveland steel mills, Dager realized the city life wasn’t exactly what he had in mind, instead meeting up with a relative who was making chocolates in the rural city of Utica. Dager decided to focus his future on something much sweeter 1914 Velvet Ice Cream began offering the first of what would grow to be a myriad of flavors – Original Vanilla. With a company name derived from the velvety texture of their product, Dager soon expanded Velvet’s flavors to include chocolate and strawberry, as well as producing their own ice to combat a lack of refrigeration. As the years passed, the 2nd and 3rd generation of Dagers grew the business beyond the state of Ohio. In the 1960s, the family purchased the current property including the original grist and lumber mill which date back to 1817! Two centuries ago, the old mill used the power of the Licking River to turn its massive wheel in order to grind wheat into flour and later cut lumber. Although the mill is no longer operational its photogenic appeal adds to the charm of the property.

Source: A Local Choice: Ice Cream Dreams