Few food products represent summer in Canada as much as the iconic Freezie. When temperatures rise and snowdrifts become a distant memory, kids all over this country make pilgrimages to their corner store with parents or friends in tow. They head directly to the chest refrigerator, slide its cold door open, and reach in to pull out their preferred flavour of the frozen treat. It’s a familiar childhood ritual that has played out for generations. Kisko, the company behind its namesake Kisko Freezies and Mr. Freeze, and best known for making products to celebrate summer with, has its own reason to celebrate in 2017. This year marks the family run company’s 40th anniversary.
JAMAICAN BORN. CANADIAN RAISED. Proudly Canadian owned and operated, Kisko’s story actually takes root in the much warmer climate of Jamaica. That’s where the company’s founder, the late Leslie Josephs and his wife lived and had the entrepreneur-
(L. to R.) Randy Josephs, Peter Josephs, Glenor Josephs and Mark Josephs
ial vision to set up the island’s first Sno Cone business in 1968. He employed drivers to make and sell the flavoured shaved ice from the back of trucks. Eventually Leslie saw a bigger opportunity in packaging his frozen products in a tube, and worked relentlessly to build up a successful freeze pop business. Sales were good, but unfortunately the political situation in Jamaica in the 1970’s wasn’t. Many Jamaicans made the difficult decision to leave the island, including Leslie and his wife Glenor. On Christmas Eve of 1975 they arrived with their five children in Markham, Ontario. With relatives nearby, it was here they would start a new life. “My Dad faced the same challenges that many immigrants still face in finding work without any local job experience in their new country,” reflects Mark Josephs, Leslie’s son and Kisko’s President. “When I share his story with our seasonal staff, who are largely immigrant based, they all nod their head because they’ve been there.” An entrepreneur to the core, Leslie Josephs decided to do what he knew best by continuing in Canada what he had started in
Jamaica. Even though it now meant facing immense pressure from major competition here in his new country, he and Glenor founded Kisko Products Inc. in Agincourt, Ontario in 1977. “A key part of our success in staying alive in the early days, and this still holds true today,” explains Mark, “was that we had the best tasting product, we provided great customer service, and we always tried to be innovators in the marketplace.” One of the many innovative, and savvy business moves by Kisko was its decision to pursue licensing agreements. They signed their first in 1988 with Tetley, the English beverage manufacturer, and promptly launched Tetley Iced Tea flavoured Freezies. The product’s mass appeal spawned more agreements with licensed brands, including a lucrative one with the movie studio DreamWorks for its Shrek 2 animated film. “That was a huge success for us,” says Mark on the DreamWorks’s deal. “It opened up a lot of doors and accounts for us where we hadn’t been, including Wal-Mart.” Other major licensing agreements eventually came from the likes of Canada Dry Mott’s, and Welch’s,
Last year Kisko launched Welch’s Lemonade Freezies, and recently obtained an organic certification. They’ll be looking to position new products in this exciting category as well.
both partnerships that continue to this day. In 2005 Kisko purchased the Mr. Freeze brand from Hershey’s, solidifying Kisko’s position as Canada’s largest freeze pop manufacturer. From the early days of selling Sno Cones from a truck to now overseeing a veritable Freezie empire, the deal marked a remarkable bookend in a storied career for Leslie Josephs.
END OF AN ERA Leslie passed away Christmas Eve of 2007. The 10th anniversary of his death this year marks an opportunity for the Josephs family and Kisko employees to reflect on the founder’s immense legacy. “He was as loyal as could be to his staff, and they all loved him and were as loyal as you could get,” says Mark describing his father’s
40 years young
relationship with Kisko employees, a large portion of which have been