Editing Ben & Jerry's (section)

===Founding===
[[File:Ben and Jerry.jpg|thumb|[[Jerry Greenfield]] (left) and [[Ben Cohen (businessman)|Ben Cohen]] in 2010]]

The company was founded by [[Ben Cohen (businessman)|Ben Cohen]] and [[Jerry Greenfield]], who had been friends since their childhood in [[Merrick, New York]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/18/magazine/passing-the-scoop-ben-jerry.html |title=Passing the Scoop; Ben & Jerry|last=Dreifus|first=Claudia |work=[[The New York Times]] |url-access=limited |date=December 18, 1994 |access-date=April 3, 2018|language=en}}</ref> Although Greenfield finished college, he was unable to get into medical school. Cohen dropped out of school.<ref name=History/> In 1977, Cohen and Greenfield completed a [[correspondence course]] on ice cream making from [[Pennsylvania State University]]'s [[Penn State University Creamery|creamery]]. Cohen has severe [[anosmia]], a lack of a sense of smell, so he relies on [[mouthfeel]] and texture to provide variety in his diet. This led to the company's trademark chunks being mixed in with their ice cream.<ref name=History/> On May 5, 1978, with a $12,000<ref name="History">{{cite web |title=Our History |url=http://www.benjerry.com/company/history/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325004518/http://www.benjerry.com/company/history/ |archive-date=March 25, 2010 |access-date=April 2, 2010 |publisher=Ben & Jerry's}}</ref> investment ({{Inflation|US|12000|1978|r=-3|fmt=eq}}), Cohen and Greenfield opened an [[ice cream parlor]] in a renovated gas station in downtown [[Burlington, Vermont]]. In 1979, they marked their anniversary by holding the first "free cone day", now an annual event at every Ben & Jerry's store, from that year to 2019, and resuming in 2023.<ref name=History/>
[[File:A_Ben_&_Jerry's_ice_cream_shop_in_Place_Jacques-Cartier,_Montreal,_Canada_03.jpg|thumb|The interior of a Ben & Jerry's ice cream parlor]]
In 1980, Cohen and Greenfield rented space in an old spool and [[bobbin]] mill on South Champlain Street in Burlington and started packing their ice cream in pints. The first Ben & Jerry's franchise opened in 1981, on [[U.S. Route 7|Route 7]] in [[Shelburne, Vermont]]. In 1983, Ben & Jerry's ice cream was used to build "the world's largest [[Sundae|ice cream sundae]]" in [[St. Albans (city), Vermont|St. Albans, Vermont]]; the sundae weighed {{convert|27102|lb|kg}}. That same year, the cows on their cartons were redesigned by local artist Woody Jackson.<ref>Dan Chu and Martha Babcock. [http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20121051,00.html "The Whole Country Cowtows as Artist Woody Jackson Makes His Big Moove Toward Udder Success"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063922/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0%2C%2C20121051%2C00.html |date=March 4, 2016 }}, ''[[People magazine|People]]'' magazine, August 28, 1989</ref>
[[File:Ben Jerry's display freezer at Dominos.jpg|thumb|upright|Ben & Jerry's display freezer at a [[Domino's Pizza|Domino's]] store]]
In 1984, [[Häagen-Dazs]] wanted to limit distribution of Ben & Jerry's by its distributors in [[Boston]], prompting Ben & Jerry's to file suit against the parent company, [[Pillsbury Company|Pillsbury]], in its "What's the Doughboy Afraid Of?" campaign.<ref>{{cite magazine | date=July 4, 1993 | title=Cookies, Cream 'n' Controversy | magazine=[[Newsweek]] | url=http://www.newsweek.com/cookies-cream-n-controversy-194604 | access-date=July 11, 2016}}</ref> In 1987, Häagen-Dazs again tried to enforce exclusive distribution, and Ben & Jerry's filed a second lawsuit against the Pillsbury Company.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

In 1985, the Ben & Jerry's Foundation was established at the end of the year with a gift from Ben & Jerry's to fund community-oriented projects; it was then provided with 7.5% of the company's annual pre-tax profits. In 1986, Ben & Jerry's launched its "Cowmobile", a modified mobile home used to distribute free scoops of Ben & Jerry's ice cream in a unique, cross-country "marketing drive", driven and served by Ben and Jerry themselves. The "Cowmobile" burned to the ground outside of [[Cleveland]] four months later, but there were no injuries. Ben said it looked like "the world's largest [[baked Alaska]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jerrygreenfield.com |title=Jerry Greenfield |date=March 2005 |website=jerrygreenfield.com |access-date=December 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080324115747/http://www.jerrygreenfield.com/ |archive-date= March 24, 2008 }}</ref>
In 1987, as a tribute to guitarist [[Jerry Garcia]], Ben & Jerry's presented its first ice cream named for a rock legend and the most famous of fan-suggested flavors, "Cherry Garcia".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.benjerry.com/flavors/cherry-garcia-ice-cream | title=Cherry Garcia Cherry Ice Cream with Cherries & Fudge Flakes|publisher=Ben & Jerry's|access-date=July 27, 2021}}</ref>

In 1985, Ben and Jerry's built and opened their factory in Waterbury, Vermont. The factory opened to public tours in 1986 and continues to offer these tours. This facility produces 350,000 or more pints of ice cream a day. It is the only Ben and Jerry's facility open to the public.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.benjerry.com/about-us/factory-tours | title=Factory Tour|publisher=Ben & Jerry's|access-date=April 5, 2024}}</ref>

In 1988, the two men won the title of U.S. Small Business Persons of the Year, awarded by President [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19880510&id=5EojAAAAIBAJ&pg=4255,957757|title=Ben & Jerry's founders are named Small Business Persons of the Year|work=[[The Palm Beach Post]]|date=May 10, 1988|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718155747/http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19880510&id=5EojAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ps8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4255,957757|archive-date=July 18, 2012|access-date=October 7, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Also that year, the first brownies were ordered from [[Greyston Bakery]], which led to the development of the popular Chocolate Fudge Brownie flavor.<ref>{{cite web|title=Baking In The Glory |publisher=Ben & Jerry's |url=http://www.benjerry.co.uk/ourbrownies/ |access-date=July 21, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511160741/http://www.benjerry.co.uk/ourbrownies/ |archive-date=May 11, 2008 }}</ref> In 1992, Ben & Jerry's joined in a cooperative campaign with the national non-profit [[Children's Defense Fund]]; the campaign goal was to bring children's basic needs to the top of the national agenda. Over 70,000 postcards were sent to [[United States Congress|Congress]] concerning kids and other national issues. In 1995, they hired [[Robert Holland (executive)|Robert Holland Jr.]] as CEO after holding a "Yo! I'm your C.E.O." essay contest as part of the search.<ref>{{cite news |last=Collins|first=Glenn|date=February 2, 1995|title=Ben & Jerry's Talent Hunt Ends|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/02/business/ben-jerry-s-talent-hunt-ends.html |newspaper=The New York Times |url-access=limited |access-date=May 2, 2016}}</ref> Holland left after 20 months following philosophical differences and was replaced by Perry Odak in 1997.<ref name="lat1997">Staff report (January 3, 1997). [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/10683254.html?dids=10683254:10683254&FMT=ABS Ben & Jerry's Appoints Former Gun Exec as CEO.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115221315/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/10683254.html?dids=10683254%3A10683254&FMT=ABS |date=January 15, 2013 }} ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''</ref>

In 1989, Ben & Jerry's announced their opposition to the use of [[recombinant bovine growth hormone]] (rBGH) in all their products. This genetically engineered hormone is sometimes given to cows to boost milk production, but Ben & Jerry's does not support this practice and is in favor of using less chemically intensive ingredients for the safety of consumers and the environment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.benjerry.com/values/issues-we-care-about/rbgh |title=Issues We Care About |publisher=Ben & Jerry's |access-date= February 21, 2014}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=February 2022}}
 [[Image:BenJerry-UnitedSquare.jpg|thumb|Ben & Jerry's ice-cream branch at the [[United Square Shopping Mall]] in Singapore]]

In 1994, ''Ben & Jerry's: The Inside Scoop'', written by Fred "Chico" Lager, former CEO of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, was published. The book tracks the history of how Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream got started. The book focuses on "How Two Real Guys Built a Business with a Social Conscience and a Sense of Humor."<ref>Lager, Fred "Chico". ''Ben & Jerry's: The Inside Scoop''. 1st ed. New York: [[Crown Publishers]], 1994. Print.</ref>