Mayor disappointed with Weis factory move after more than 60 years

Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio has reacted to the final day of the Weis factory in the city, calling it a “sad day for Toowoomba’.

Weis workers pack ice creams on the Toowoomba factory floor.

Toowoomba’s ice cream icon is officially no longer produced in the Garden City, and our mayor says it’s a sad day for the city.

On Friday the final ice cream came off the production lines, marking the end of a rich manufacturing history that stretched more than 60 years.

Mayor Paul Antonio said it was a “sad day for all of Toowoomba”.

“We’re trying to build opportunity, not take it away,” Mr Antonio said.

Corporate giant Unilever announced the closure of the factory in late-2019, resulting in 93 eventual job losses.

TRC Mayor Paul Antonio. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Mr Antonio said Weis was “very much Toowoomba-owned,” and he had been given the impression production would remain in the Garden City.

“There was no absolute given, but it wasn’t long before the same people were back in town saying it was going to be shifted,” Mr Antonio said.

“I certainly gained the impression the executive of Unilever loved Toowoomba and they were here to stay.”

Employees at the factory said while there were “mixed emotions” as production ceased at the Ruthven St facility, the Weis bar would remain a Toowoomba icon.