Friendly’s Ice Cream - Wilbraham, MA

Food Tech’s expertise in refrigeration engineering was used for a variety of projects at this 40,000 square foot facility.

Friendly’s Ice Cream needed a design-build company with expertise in refrigeration engineering that they could rely on for a variety of projects at their main 40,000-square-foot facility in Wilbraham, MA. 

As a leader in cold storage construction with extensive industrial refrigeration know-how, Food Tech was chosen to lead multiple projects at Friendly’s flagship ice cream production plant. Across these projects, Food Tech provided an array of cutting-edge refrigeration solutions, including freezers, blast freezers, and a state-of-the-art ammonia refrigeration central system. Additionally, energy efficient refrigeration design, and cooperation with a local energy provider, allowed Food Tech to help secure a six-digit monetary rebate for the plant which helped offset a significant portion of Friendly’s capital investment in the projects. 

During these projects, Food Tech delivered the following:

  • 20,000-square-foot -20°F ice cream freezer
  • Spiral freezer
  • Ammonia refrigeration with screw compressors and evaporative condensing
  • Penthouse evaporator coils
  • Energy efficient computer controls for refrigeration system 
  • Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) compliant design engineering

Founded in the 1930’s as a modest ice cream shop in Springfield, MA, Friendly’s Ice Cream has throughout maintained a commitment to providing high-quality ice cream products for over 70 years. Today, Friendly’s offers more than 120 products in its portfolio including bars, sundae cones, and a variety of signature half-gallon flavors. In 2016, Friendly’s was acquired by Dean Foods, the nation’s largest dairy company.