DC Foods, parent company of premium frozen dessert brand Island Way, has appointed Matt Close — former President of Global Ice Cream at Unilever — to its Board of Directors, a move that pairs one of the world's most experienced ice cream strategists with a brand that has tripled its retail footprint in under a year.
The Growth Numbers
By summer 2026, Island Way will be stocked in more than 15,000 retail locations — up from roughly 5,000 a year prior — after adding more than 3,000 new stores over the past 12 months. Exclusive product launches with Sam's Club and Target anchored the push, and the South Africa–headquartered DC Foods is projecting significant revenue growth in the U.S. alongside distribution expansion into Canada and other international markets. The brand was also named to Bain & Company's 2026 Insurgent Brands List, a ranking that tracks emerging consumer challengers gaining ground against established category leaders.
For c-store operators, that distribution trajectory matters. Frozen novelties and premium frozen desserts have been one of the stronger impulse categories in the channel, with grab-and-go fruit-shell formats fitting naturally into the single-serve, high-margin mix that operators rely on alongside dispensed beverage and roller grill programs. A brand clearing 15,000 retail doors — and doing it through mass and club exclusives — signals the kind of velocity that typically triggers foodservice-adjacent conversations with convenience buyers.
The Board Appointment
Close spent 32 years at Unilever, ultimately overseeing global strategy for an ice cream portfolio that includes Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, and Breyers. He now serves as a Senior Advisor to Blantyre Capital. His appointment gives DC Foods direct access to category-scale expertise at a moment when Island Way is moving from early-adopter shelves into mainstream retail.
"Matt's unparalleled experience in the global ice cream industry makes him an extraordinary addition to our board," said David Peters, CEO of DC Foods and Island Way. "His deep understanding of consumer trends, brand building, innovation and category growth will be invaluable as we continue to scale the business."
Close framed his interest around the brand's differentiation. "Island Way has built a distinctive brand that combines premium quality, innovation and consumer appeal in a way that truly stands out in the frozen dessert space," he said.
What It Means for the Channel
The frozen dessert category has seen persistent premiumization pressure across retail, with consumers gravitating toward products that carry a cleaner ingredient story or a distinctive format — exactly the positioning Island Way pursues with its fruit-shell presentation. That same dynamic is playing out in convenience, where premium frozen novelties and better-for-you snack formats are increasingly taking share from legacy impulse items.
Adding a board member with Close's institutional knowledge of supply chain, global sourcing, and consumer marketing at scale positions DC Foods to accelerate both the foodservice and retail sides of its distribution strategy. For c-store buyers evaluating frozen dessert sets, Island Way's rapid door count and national retail validation are the kind of proof points that move a brand from test to committed shelf space.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
