For fleets needing to keep interior temperatures chilly as exterior temperatures soar, it’s a reality that fortune favors the cold. No company is more acutely aware of this, nor more adeptly applies that necessary heuristic, than Leopold’s Ice Cream. Founded in 1919 by three Grecian brothers after which the parlor and subsequent ice cream brand was named, Leopold’s—located in steamy Savannah, Georgia—knows a thing or two about keeping their cool. That’s where Great Dane comes in.
Leopold’s owner, Stratton Leopold, and Chris Hammond, Great Dane’s EVP of Sales, come together to celebrate a combined 225 years of serving southeastern Georgia.
In May 2022, the two legendary Savannah companies joined together to celebrate their historic partnership as they welcomed community members to enjoy Leopold’s famous ice cream at Great Dane’s corporate offices in Savannah. The event also marked Great Dane’s 122nd birthday, which the company celebrated that same month. Together, the two companies have served the community for a combined 225 years.
Leaders from both organizations gathered to unveil the new specialized Great Dane Johnson reach-in, refrigerated truck body, which will provide Leopold’s Ice Cream with more refrigerated capacity for final mile deliveries.
“We’re excited to add this new high-quality delivery truck to our fleet so we can share our world-class ice cream with more people at more locations,” shared Stratton Leopold, owner and the second-generation member of the Leopold family to run this sweet institution. “Thanks to our newest ice cream truck body from Great Dane, we can keep our treats frosty as we make deliveries across the low country,” he added.
The specialized Great Dane Johnson refrigerated truck body is outfitted with a new decal wrap and customized with refrigeration provisions tailored to meet Leopold Ice Cream’s unique needs. The truck body was built at Great Dane’s Johnson Truck Body plant in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.
And the specs attached to this re-imagined truck body are anything but vanilla. It features an all-electric cold plate refrigeration system that keeps temperatures frosty—as low as minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit—and a seamless fiberglass body that ensures maximum thermal efficiency. Eliminating the need for a diesel generator to power the TRU not only saves on fuel costs (diesel prices are approaching six dollars per gallon at the writing of this piece), but it allows for near silent operation—an important consideration when it comes to overnight operation and maintaining a friendly relationship with nearby residents.
Six custom, tightly sealed, curbside reach-in doors and compartments allow for easily organized access to inventory. This innovation keeps drivers on the ground, eliminating the need to enter the truck body multiple times per day.
“This is the top of the line in truck bodies, built to deliver thermal integrity and to keep frozen goods at maximum cold temperatures to ensure freshness for each and every delivery,” shared Chris Hammond, EVP of Sales for Great Dane. “Everyone knows and loves Leopold’s Ice Cream, and Great Dane is proud to help them get the job done.”
Striking a balance between an operational necessity to lower business costs and the environmental imperative to build equipment that reduces its footprint on the planet is a hope of all parties involved.
Leopold’s, with the use of this long-lasting and all-electric truck body, will both save money and greatly reduce carbon emissions. Now that’s something to scream about.
The team at Leopold’s knows how to make the sweetest treats in the area. Great Dane knows how to keep it cold.
