[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9774]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING SHAIN'S OF MAINE

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, as the summer months are upon us, 
millions of Americans will indulge in the traditional summertime treat 
of ice cream. Almost nothing is as refreshing and enjoyable on a hot 
summer day as a cold scoop of ice cream, and a company in my home State 
of Maine is making it possible to enjoy this dessert year round. I rise 
today to honor Shain's of Maine, a family-owned and operated small 
business that has been serving this delicious frozen treat year-round 
to Mainers since 1979.
  Shain's of Maine is based in Sanford and began as a small retail ice 
cream company three decades ago. Over the years, Shain's has continued 
to grow and now operates a restaurant and a thriving wholesale 
division. It has been reported that Shain's dishes out as much as 3,000 
quarts of ice cream a day in winter and 10,000 quarts a day in summer! 
Shain's credits the hard work and loyalty of its employees with their 
ability to keep up with the tremendous demand for its product. Shain's 
employees speak fondly of the atmosphere and fun working environment at 
Shain's and also boast about some of the ``sweet'' perks working at 
this small business, which include: free ice cream, breaks whenever the 
employees want, and the occasional half-filled quart of ice cream to 
take home.
  In order to attract new customers, Shain's markets its products by 
sending out samples to restaurants and other establishments that sell 
ice cream. Shain's has always taken pride in its superior quality and 
service, and attributes those same virtues with the company's longevity 
and success today. Shain's commitment to the customer and ability to 
respond to the needs of its loyal fans has allowed Shain's to grow 
tremendously throughout its existence. Indeed, Shain's currently 
delivers its 100 flavors of ice cream to 300 independent stores and 100 
ice cream stands. Its Sanford location offers customers creative 
sundaes--including its famed Wipeout Sundae, including four ice cream 
flavors, four toppings, whipped cream, and cherries--as well as a 
variety of frappes, floats, sherbets, and frozen yogurts.
  One particular ice cream concoction has become wildly popular among 
Mainers because of its connection to the local minor league baseball 
team. The Portland Sea Dogs, Maine's AA affiliate of the Boston Red 
Sox, offer one of Shain's delicious creations, the classic Sea Dog 
Biscuit, at their home games. The Sea Dog Biscuit is Shain's take on 
the traditional ice cream sandwich, featuring vanilla ice cream and two 
giant chocolate chip cookies. It is this kind of creativity and clever 
marketing that allows Shain's to differentiate itself from other, 
larger ice cream companies.
  This marvelous story of a successful small business is a reminder to 
us all that caring for customers and valuing your employees can result 
in long term success in any industry. As countless tourists travel to 
Vacationland this summer, I am certain that many will be searching for 
a cool treat to satisfy their sweet tooth, and Shain's of Maine will 
stand ready with scoops in hand! I congratulate Shain's of Maine for 
its ongoing dedication to providing delicious ice cream for Mainers and 
tourists alike, and I wish the company many more years of success to 
come.

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