Skip to the main content
Vollrath Companies
0 Wishlist

Ask a Question

Need an answer but don’t know who to talk to? Drop your questions in the form field. We’ll pass it along to our in-house experts, and an answer will be emailed to you shortly.

* Required
* Required
Case Study Article

1939 soft serve machine makes history once again

Classic Soft Serve Machine
Vollrath Pro Staff -

The Stoelting Model M soft serve machine was the first of its kind made for McCullough’s Dairy Queen in Geneseo, Illinois. Built in 1939, it marked the beginning of Stoelting’s legacy as a soft serve equipment manufacturer. Well after its last known operation in 1990 in Hawaii for Dairy Queen’s 50th anniversary, the Model M was discovered languishing in a barn in 2016 in Kiel, Wisconsin, where it was rescued and restored by Stoelting’s John Voelker and Jeremy Adamavich. 

 

 

John said that after being in cold storage for nearly 27 years, it needed significant cleaning and work. “We tried to use all the original parts. There were some parts that we just couldn't replace, so we used some of our current parts.” The team added a new condenser while leaving the original in the machine, replaced water lines, charged it with a retrofit refrigerant, and manufactured and installed new side panels. 

While working on the machine, Jeremy noticed all the components were made in the upper Midwest, a nod to Stoelting’s heritage of manufacturing in this area since 1905. “It seemed to be a little bit of an art form to be able to draw from this machine,” Jeremy said. “I’m pretty proud of what we did.” 

“It was made in 1939. It's pretty cool. I mean, to plug it in … and you can serve product out of it, it's pretty amazing.” — John Voelker 

Once the machine was up and running, the entire Kiel plant was treated to soft serve. “It was made in 1939. To plug it in and serve product out of it, it's pretty amazing,” John said. 

Now on permanent display at Vollrath’s headquarters in Sheboygan, the Model M serves as an example of the timeless quality Stoelting is known for. 

Connect with a Sales Representative

Interested in purchasing a Stoelting equipment, or have questions on a specific model. Connect with one of our sales representatives today. Simply send in your questions or requests today and a qualified sales representative will connect with you.