What’s it like to grow up in the Ice Cream Business?
Steve George’s favorite childhood memory is when his dad would bring home all the
ice cream sandwiches he could eat. His dad and his uncle Mike were building what would
later bec
ome Melody Farms, a small family owned company started by Steve’s grandfather in 1948 with one old truck and a route consisting of 3customers.
Tom George and Sons Dairy could have gone either way because it was tough finding customers back then. But Steve’s dad, Sharkey, and his uncle Mike realized early on that persistence and developing great customer relationships by making the customer most important were some of the cornerstones of building Melody Farms.
One of Steve’s first jobs was at 14 years old calling customers on the phone for orders. At 16 he drove an ice cream delivery truck during the summer. After graduating college with a degree in Business Administration, he later joined the company, first as a salesman and eventually in new product development. With his family and cousins all working in the business, Melody Farms was growing rapidly, from 1 million to 5 million to 30 mi
llion to over 130 million. By then Melody Farms owned and operated several plants including Stroh’s Ice Cream in Detroit, Mi.
Steve’s role in product development was his dream job. Tasting and testing new flavors, and then the reward of seeing your ice cream come down the production line, are some his fondest memories. He also had a role in print and media advertising, drawing on his passion for collecting antique posters.

ice cream sandwiches he could eat. His dad and his uncle Mike were building what would
later bec

Tom George and Sons Dairy could have gone either way because it was tough finding customers back then. But Steve’s dad, Sharkey, and his uncle Mike realized early on that persistence and developing great customer relationships by making the customer most important were some of the cornerstones of building Melody Farms.
One of Steve’s first jobs was at 14 years old calling customers on the phone for orders. At 16 he drove an ice cream delivery truck during the summer. After graduating college with a degree in Business Administration, he later joined the company, first as a salesman and eventually in new product development. With his family and cousins all working in the business, Melody Farms was growing rapidly, from 1 million to 5 million to 30 mi

Steve’s role in product development was his dream job. Tasting and testing new flavors, and then the reward of seeing your ice cream come down the production line, are some his fondest memories. He also had a role in print and media advertising, drawing on his passion for collecting antique posters.

At the height of its growth Melody Farms was listed in Dairy Field Magazine’s Top 100 Dairies and one of the largest privately owned dairies in the US. Obviously the values that were instilled in the kids paid off. Eventually Melody Farms, like many businesses today was taken over by a larger company. But if you ask Steve what his favorite treat is, “The classic ice cream sandwich,” of course.