Brian Perry continues to take his company to great heights thanks in part to his Alfred State education.
As the executive vice president, chairman, and co-owner of Perry’s Ice Cream, Brian Perry continues to take his company to great heights thanks in part to his Alfred State education.
In the mid-1980s, after speaking with his uncle Dale, an Alfred State alumnus and former co-CEO of Perry’s Ice Cream, Brian decided to enroll in the college’s business administration program. As a student, Brian valued the relationships he had with his professors, the interaction they had with the class, and the education he was receiving.
“It was a good mix of the academic world and the real world – book knowledge and real-world application,” he said.
After receiving his degree in 1985, Brian joined the family business as a personnel supervisor, the first of several roles he would hold in the company. By 2001, thanks in part to his Alfred State education, Brian had worked his way up in the company to become the executive vice president. In 2012, he was named chairman.
Since taking over leadership in 2000, Brian and his brother-in-law, Robert Denning, president and CEO, have increased production to 12 million gallons, expanded sales of the Perry’s brand into western Pennsylvania and the state of Ohio, and enabled Perry’s to become an international manufacturing company.
No matter how much Perry’s continues to thrive under Brian’s leadership, however, he will always be grateful for Alfred State and the ways in which it helped both him and his uncle grow their family business for generations to come.