Weis’ sale a sweet success
Unilever acquisition an ‘end of an era’ but sign of region’s strong economic growth
THE Unilever takeover of the iconic Toowoomba ice cream brand Weis may be the “end of an era” but a sure sign of the region’s economic strength.
Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio has thanked the Weis family for its dedication to the city where, 60 years ago, a recipe was created and a product taken to market that’s only grown in popularity.
The second-generation family run company based in Harlaxton this week announced it had been acquired by Unilever, an international food and produce conglomerate which also owns Streets ice cream.
Cr Antonio said he was confident the sale would help expand the Weis brand and along with it, the region’s reputation for food and agriculture.
“Rather than being sad about the Weis family, I thank you for what has been done,” he said.
“There’s no doubt the brand is a very good one, and the world deserves to have an opportunity to taste what we’ve been tasting for 60 years.
“It’s the end of an era and in my view, on the record, I thank the Weis family for their ingenuity.”
Cr Antonio said he was looking forward to working with Unilever from Toowoomba.
“In the not-too-distant future, I will be issuing an invitation to Unilever to come to Toowoomba and get an understanding of what Toowoomba is, the opportunities here with the freight flights to Hong Kong, and all that is happening,” he said.
“I think it’s all coming together in Toowoomba, the connectivity we should get in the not-too-distant future in Inland Rail.”
Cr Antonio said the Unilever acquisition was the latest in a string of multi-million dollar investments in the region, following the Charter Hall Retail REIT $41 million purchase of the Highfields Village shopping centre in June.
“They (investors) do these things for a very good reason, a well-calculated reason,” he said.
“People are now looking at Toowoomba, hearing a lot about Toowoomba, and that it’s a great place to invest.
“We’re bearing the fruit of that now.”