PackagingJowat Global
Stories

Iceland the Ice Cream Land

When we talk about Iceland, we immediately think of the bitter cold. But if we’re talking about the Icelandic company Kjörís in Hveragerði, we don’t necessarily mean the climate, but rather the ice cream produced there. Packaging the ice cream is no simple task – temperatures below freezing are a challenge for many adhesives. So it’s a good thing they can rely on the expertise of Jowat.

Customer Magazine

Iceland is a fascinating country with unique natural conditions and intriguing contradictions. This is where cold glaciers meet fiery volcanos and icy plains meet rocky coastal regions... And despite the cold climate, the Icelanders love ice cream: It is consumed at every time of day or year – numerous ice cream shops are open all year round and even until late at night. The production and sale of ice cream is a lucrative business in the small island nation.

The adhesive used on the packaging of frozen products such as dairy ice cream, lollies and sorbets needs to be able to withstand particular challenges. As well as process speeds, it is mainly the low temperatures during the storage of these sweet treats that can really put the adhesive to the test – temperatures as low as -40 °C are not uncommon. Kjörís is all too familiar with these demands – the family-owned company has over 50 years of experience in manufacturing and selling ice cream. The company was founded by mechanical engineer Gylfi Hinriksson and dairy technician Hafstein Kristinsson. Starting out with just five employees, the company now has 55, with up to even 70 working at Kjörís in the labour-intensive summer season.

Ice cream for every need

Kjörís manufactures and sells ice cream in its home country of Iceland. They mainly produce one to two-litre containers, multipacks with lollies and soft serve ice cream. In addition to the frozen dairy products, the range also includes sauces, chocolate and other confectionary that can be used as toppings for their creamy soft serve ice cream. Be it for independent sellers or large-scale ice cream shops, Kjörís offers the perfect solution for every ice-cream need.

The second-generation family-owned company is headquartered in Hveragerði, a small town east of Reykjavík, which is famous nationwide for its hot springs. They not only attract tourists and wellness holidaymakers to the community of 2,600 residents, but also have an important job – Iceland relies solely on renewable energy for its power generation. Electricity is generated exclusively from hydraulic, wind and geothermal power. This means Kjörís also only uses “green” sources of energy for its own production. The water that is used is taken from the immediate surroundings – from nearby springs or from the River Varmá running through Hveragerði.

Read the whole story and other interesting articles in our customer magazine.