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While thousands already visit the castle at Reid's every year, Armin Quickert wants to expand the dairy's unique entertainment centre RMIN QUICKERT HAS A vision to make his Reid's Dairy "a landmark on this planet." In the next few years, the dairy at 222 Bell Boulevard will boast a complete family fun entertainment centre that The scoop on will draw visitors from around the province, he says. Reid's Dairy "We are planning and investiQ Reid's Dairy opened gating the economics of a larger scale family fun centre at in1910atLoyalistour existing site. By the year Wallbridge Road. 2000, we'll have it completed Q It was bought by and it will be geared to all ages, year-round." Arthur Quickert in The proposed indoor enter1967. It is owned by tainment centre is a natural Armin and Marilyn progression for the operation Quickert and operated that not only boasts the dairy with sons Stephen and retail outlet, but a theme park as well, he believes. and David. "We are trying to be unique a It's located at 222 in the dairy business by offerBell Boulevard on the ing customers more than just corner of Bell Bouleour products," he said. vard and Sidney Already, Reid's Dairy has become a city landmark with Street. its castle-like construction, Q It has 50 full-time miniature train set inside the workers and addition- tore, a mechanical cow that al part-time people. moos at the push of a button, Q It produces milk, gift and craft area, 95-foot tower, covered gazebo picnic milkshakes, ice area and the Loonie Ranch petcream, table cream ting zoo. and fruit drinks. A few months ago, the dairy Q It processes about also completed a 6,000-squarethree per cent of foot dry and frozen storage addition. Ontario's fluid milk The Reid's Dairy property consumption. covers 30 acres north to HighQ It also operate 20 way 401. Six acres are currentretail outlets, The ly developed, thereby paving Milky Way, between the way for the addition of an indoor family entertainment Mississauga and centre. Kingston. The dairy employs 50 fulltime workers and additional part-timers. Reid's Dairy has changed 1 considerably since it was pur'We are trying chased by Quickert and his to be unique in wife, Marilyn, in July 1967. "When we arrived here, we the dairy had one horse-drawn wagon and six delivery trucks. We business by were strictly a door-to-door offering delivery dairy." Reid's was one of three customers more dairies in the city; the others than just our were Roblin and Grills. "Every Ontario community products * would mirror the image of Belleville with three or four dairies. We're now the last A < independent processing dairy plant between Toronto and Ottawa from the about 50 that were in existence in that area 32 years ago." Arid why the success of the local dairy? "You're looking at three people who are determined to stay in business," said Quickert, referring also to his sons David (vice-president of marketing and sales) and Stephen (vice-president operations). "It's the determination and love of our business which drives us," Quickert said. Reid's Dairy processes an average of one million litres of milk every week and most of its milk comes from local farmers. "We process a little under three per cent of Ontario's fluid market," he noted. Besides processing milk, it manufactures ice c?eam, buttermilk, table creams, juices, drinks and mixes (for milk shakes and ice cream). Besides supplying grocery stores with its products, Reid's Dairy has also established its own retail outlets. Appropriately, the 24 retail outlets between Mississauga and Kingston are dubbed The Milky Way. The Oshawa outlet was the first to be renovated to resemble the Belleville operation, on a smaller scale. It has two towers, a train and mechanical cow and, of course, an ice cream parlor. Over the past year, 13 of its outlets were also renovated with the same features except for the large tower "and the remaining 10 stores will be done over the next few years." Quickert acknowledged his operation is readying itself for the future. "We will be more competitive and we'll also provide something that is a unique twist to the dairy business." Quickert said Reid's Dairy "is in a very good position to survive in such a competitive market as it's driven by the international trade agreements." He adds confidently, "We'll be around for a while." Story, photo by Henry Bury/The Intelligencer