Peters Ice Cream and Brownes Dairy have been household names for generations of Western Australians.
The manufacturer, Peters and Brownes Group, has grown out of two small companies that started business in the late 1920s to now employ more than 1,200 people with sales in excess of $400 million annually.
It’s now exporting ice cream to New Zealand, Singapore and Japan.
Marketforce is the dairy’s primary agency, and Marketforce managing director John Driscoll said Peters and Brownes had been able to stand the test of time by staying relevant to consumers.
“One of the ways they have done that is through product innovation,” he said.
“They are the category leaders in a number of fields. They launched Heart Plus milk as a brand last year and it was first to category.”
Peters Ice Cream was developed by American-born Frederick Peters, who came to Perth from Sydney to take on the job as managing director in a new ice cream company, Peters American Delicacy Company, in 1929.
Edward Browne established Brownes earlier that decade. In 1949, directors of Peters wanted to ensure a supply of milk concentrate for rising demand in ice cream and began negotiations with Brownes to acquire an interest in its business.
A deal was struck and Brunswick Creamery Pty Ltd was formed. In 1962, Brownes Dairy Limited was sold to Peters Ice Cream (WA).
