DOLLY MADISON MAKER BUYS SCHRAFT'S

RICHARD TURCSIK

NEW YORK -- Most of the assets of Schraft's Ice Cream in Staten Island here have been sold to the manufacturer of Dolly Madison ice cream products. Schraft's supplied D'Agostino Supermarkets with its D'Ag's Select premium private-label ice cream.

Calip Dairies Operating Co., Ronkonkoma, N.Y., recently purchased the brands, trademarks, formulas, existing inventories, customer list and equipment of the Schraft's, Sedutto's and Centrone's brands.

In addition to Dolly Madison, Calip is affiliated with Steve's Ice Cream Co. and manufactures Yoplait frozen yogurt and Trix frozen novelties for Steve's under a licensing agreement with General Mills, Minneapolis. Calip also is the franchiser of about 500 Swenson's Ice Cream Parlors and full-service restaurants.

Mary Moore, director of public affairs at Larchmont, N.Y.-based D'Agostino's, said there has been no change in D'Ag's Select product available in the stores as a result of the takeover.

"There has been no disruption of product to our customers, and at this point that is the most important thing," she said, declining further comment.

David Stein, vice president of Calip, said Calip hopes to expand its new brands to other areas of the country. He added that Calip has been filling gaps in Schraft's production pipeline since acquiring the assets."There were some out of stocks and disruptions of supply before the acquisition because Schraft's was in progressively worse financial condition. Because of the lack of working capital, they couldn't keep all of their products in stock."