CoolBrands expands Tropicana in Europe, adds Moose Tracks at home.

CoolBrands International Inc. has announced two new ventures this month. On the international front the company reports that it has entered into an agreement with Rolland, S.A. of Landerneau Cedex, France to launch a line of Tropicana branded frozen fruit juice bar novelties in France and Belgium. Domestically, CoolBrands is the exclusive marketer of Tropicana frozen desserts under a long-term license from Tropicana Products, Inc. of Bradenton, Florida. The company also reports that it has that it has acquired the exclusive right in the United States for the next 15 years to market and distribute frozen novelties under the Moose Tracks and Alaskan Classics trademarks owned by Denali Flavors.

The agreement with Rolland provides that that company will manufacture Tropicana frozen novelties at its plant located in Brest, France and distribute them throughout France and Belgium under sublicense from CoolBrands. The company reports that all major French and Belgian retailers have agreed to list the products, with distribution set to begin immediately.

The launch of Tropicana frozen novelties in France and Belgium follows the company's successful introduction of the Tropicana frozen novelty product line in the United States and Canada in 1997 and 1999, respectively. CoolBrands notes that the launch coincides with the growing dominance of Tropicana Pure Premium as the leading fresh juice brand in France, Belgium and a host of other European countries.

"Tropicana Pure Premium is the third largest branded food product in the U.S. and the fourth largest in Canada, and is fast achieving similar dominance in Europe and throughout the world," said CoolBrands' President and Co-CEO David J. Stein. "CoolBrands is delighted to share in this growth by developing the Tropicana brand in the frozen dessert category. Rolland, S.A. is a major European manufacturer and marketer of frozen desserts, and the alliance announced today establishes a platform for future expansion into additional European markets."

CoolBrands will market Moose Tracks and other Alaskan Classics frozen novelties under the Eskimo Pie brand. In Moose Tracks, CoolBrands gains access to one of the most popular proprietary ice cream flavors in the U.S. Since its launch in 1993, the flavor, consisting of vanilla ice cream combined with chocolate peanut butter cups and swirled with thick fudge, has been licensed by 84 different marketers for use in packaged ice cream.

According to Stein, "Denali Flavors believes the best way to achieve similar success in the frozen novelty category is through co-branding with Eskimo Pie, an established leader among frozen novelty brands and a perfect match to the distinctive brand imagery and high quality standards of Moose Tracks and other Alaskan Classics products. We believe Moose Tracks adds a new dimension to the Eskimo Pie product line, and opens significant new growth opportunities for the brand."

The first product introduced under the agreement is the Eskimo Pie Moose Tracks Ice Cream Bar. Made from vanilla ice cream filled with crushed Moose Tracks chocolate peanut butter cups and swirls of Moose Tracks fudge and coated with Eskimo Pie's Midnight Sun dark chocolate coating, it is available in 4-packs for supermarkets, 12-packs for club stores, and single packs for c-stores, vending trucks, and other impulse market outlets.

Denali Flavors L.L.C. was created in the summer of 1996, three years after the introduction of Moose Track ice cream. From that first flavor, the Alaskan Classics product line has grown to twenty three flavors. Denali reports that is common for Moose Tracks to outsell vanilla in a given licensee's product line. Comparable ice cream quarter-to-quarter sales growth for succeeding years is approximately 300% and the company also notes that the flavor has consistently been 1st or 2nd best-selling flavor in the Chicago market confirmed by IRI data.

Denali supply dairies across the country with ingredients for the Alaskan Classics product line, as well as ingredients for shakes, sorbets, and milk. Its top of the line variegates include: Heavy Fudge, as featured in its Moose Tracks products, Island (butter) Fudge, Thick Caramel, Iditarod Peanut Butter, and Butter Pecan Fudge. Background flavors, vanillas, chocolate powders, condiments, flavor bases, syrups, chocolate mousse, inclusions, select nuts, stabilizers, and many other dairy ingredients are all offered through Denali Flavors. Throughout the United States leading manufacturers supply these ingredients under Denali's specifications to its customers.

Among the companies that offer Moose Tracks are Barber Ice Cream, Cascade Glacier, Creamland, Dean Foods, Gifford's Ice Cream, Kinnett Dairies, Kroger's, Marigold Foods, Meadow Gold, Pierre's French Ice Cream, Publix Supermarkets, Stroh's, Trauth Dairy, and Velvet Ice Cream.

In addition to Tropicana and Eskimo Fie, CoolBrands markets a broad range of frozen novelties and frozen dessert products under the Welch's, Weight Watchers Smart Ones, Betty Crocker, Trix, Yoplait, Colombo, and Yoo Hoo brand. In addition, CoolBrands franchises and licenses frozen dessert outlets operated under the Yogen Fruz, I Can't Believe It's Yogurt (ICBIY), Bresler's Ice Cream and Premium Frozen Yogurt, Swensen's Ice Cream, Golden Swirl, Ice Cream Churn, and Java Coast Fine Coffees, with company-owned, franchised and non-traditional partnership locations in approximately 80 countries around the world.