Feb 23, 2004 12:00 PM, from staff and wire reports

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings Inc's wholly owned subsidiary, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Inc, has purchased the United States Haagen-Dazs ice cream shop franchise business from General Mills Inc. The Haagen-Dazs Shoppe Co Inc, based in Minneapolis MN, has 236 franchises for Haagen-Dazs ice cream parlors across the nation.

With this acquisition, Dreyer's now handles all the manufacturing and marketing of Haagen-Dazs ice cream in the United States.

In June 2003, Dreyer's obtained a license for the Haagen-Dazs brand in the United States when it combined with NestlŽ Ice Cream Co LLC. With that license, Dreyer's also obtained the ice cream supply contract to The Haagen-Dazs Shoppe Co.

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings and its subsidiaries manufacture and distribute a variety of ice cream and frozen dessert products.