Turkey Hill Dairy, maker of popular iced tea, ice cream, sold to Texas firm

Turkey Hill Dairy, the Lancaster County manufacturer of premium ice creams and iced tea, is being sold by its parent company, Kroger to Peak Rock Capital, a Texas-based private equity firm.

Peak Rock will continue to operate Turkey Hill out of the dairy’s facility in Conestoga, Pa.

“Customers aren’t going to see any change or difference in the products and this won’t affect employment,” said Turkey Hill spokesman David Shoffner. “It’ll remain business as usual. Same great products same team. There are no great changes planned in the short term.”

The dairy, Shoffner said, has been for sale for more than a year. Turkey Hill distributes products in 49 states. “The only place we haven’t cracked yet is Hawaii.”

The selling price of the company was not divulged. Closing is expected during Kroger’s first quarter and the after-tax proceeds will be used to reduce debt, the company said in a release.

Turkey Hill Dairy was founded by farmer Armor Frey in 1931. Over five decades it expanded to include a chain of convenience stores. In 1985, supermarket giant Kroger bought both the dairy and Turkey Hill’s Minit Markets. In April 2018, Kroger sold off Turkey Hill’s 260 convenience stores to British gas station operator, EG Group.