EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The recent cyberattack on a major dairy company is creating headaches for popular ice cream shops who are experiencing a shortage of one of their summertime staples.
H.P. Hood Dairy reported experiencing a “cyber security event” earlier this month, prompting the temporary shutdown of the company’s manufacturing plants.
During that time, the Massachusetts-based company couldn’t manufacture or receive raw materials, including milk, according to a spokesperson.
Hood is the main dairy supplier in New England, and the shutdown has not only delayed milk deliveries, it’s also created a soft-serve ice cream shortage.
Amanda McQuillan, owner of Country Whip in Acushnet, tells 12 News she learned of the cyberattack from one of her vendors, who couldn’t provide her the soft-serve ice cream she normally orders.
“For me personally, and Country Whip, that is our number one seller,” McQuillan said. “There was no question in my mind that we had to figure something out.”
“Thankfully, White’s Dairy in Acushnet has helped us out with getting a substitute product,” she added. “I just went this morning and got a small serving of some [soft-serve ice cream] to get me through the day, and if that’s what I have to do every morning to make sure I have what I need for customers, I have no problem doing that.”
McQuillan said the lack of soft-serve ice cream has been tough, especially since it’s in tandem with the ongoing supply chain shortage and price hikes, both of which were prompted by the pandemic.
“It’s frustrating because we finally saw something good happening … COVID’s calming down, masks are coming off,” she said. “It was kind of a relief for small businesses, but then the price of everything started increasing.”
The cyberattack on Hood is also impacting Middletown’s Frosty Freez. The Aquidneck Island favorite announced last week it will not be open for the season on April 1, as it always has in years past.
Frotsy Freez cited ongoing supply chain issues and “unforeseen equipment problems” as reasons for not opening up on time.
In a message to patrons, Frosty Freez said they will be sorting these issues out in the coming weeks.
“We hope you forgive us for making you wait a little longer for a taste of summer, but we’ll be open ASAP,” the company wrote in a Facebook post. “As soon as we have a definite date, we’ll post it everywhere.”
