Markdale company and the largest independent ice cream maker in Canada, Chapman's Ice Cream, has pledged to not raise prices on any of their products this year despite the ongoing U.S. and Canada trade war.
Chief Operating Officer Ashley Chapman, who's parents David and Penny started the company, says the tariffs will hurt many businesses, including theirs, but he says ultimately, the costs get passed down to the customer.
"Businesses are getting hit, but mostly they're gonna be pushing this on the end consumer. We didn't wanna be those people to just react and do that because, your average Canadian is the one who's going to suffer the worst from this trade war," Chapman explained.
Chapman's does source many ingredients from the U.S., like fruit concentrates and nuts, but Ashley says they're already looking at alternatives for sourcing key ingredients.
"All hope is not lost for Chapman's Ice Cream because we are working diligently in the background to source everything that we get from the United States from anywhere else in the world that doesn't have the same tariffs," Chapman stated.
Despite feeling like their company is in a healthy position to handle the issues the tariffs are bringing, Chapman points out that he and his family have a huge concern about what the tariffs may do to the agriculture industry, particularly the dairy farmers that are crucial parts of what Chapman's does.
"If their feed goes up for the cattle, if the price goes up for whatever they're using in their operation to produce the dairy goes up, they're gonna have to pass on those costs to us," noted Chapman.
The reality is, Chapman says, at the end of the day, businesses and ultimately consumers are going to be hurt from these tariffs on both sides of the border, but some may be hit worse than others.
"Unfortunately a lot of businesses are really going to feel the pressure more than we are. We like to use the size of Chapman's Ice Cream to renegotiate contracts and bring our costs down so we can maintain our price level. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses just aren't built the way Chapman's is," Chapman said.
Chapman's has been in Markdale making ice cream products since the early 1970's, and the company has contributed numerous donations to the area over its history. They even bumped worker pay during the pandemic, and purchased freezers for the local health unit to store vaccines.