By Ava Kahn

When two Brooklyn-born Italian brothers packed up their dreams (and their cannoli recipes) and headed to sunny California, they were on their way to creating an ice cream empire. Gary and Errol Winkler started out small with several stores called Brothers Italian Ices Cafe, which served up sweet treats to the locals. But as word of their delicious creations spread, so did the demand. Soon, the brothers made the leap into manufacturing, turning their passion for desserts into a booming business.

Fast forward a decade and the company wasn’t just making desserts for themselves anymore; they were crafting products for other businesses, too, which continued to fuel their success. As the orders rolled in, Brothers Desserts needed more space to keep the magic going.

In 2020, in order to keep up with the growing appetite for their ice cream, Brothers Desserts purchased Schoep’s Ice Cream in Madison, Wisconsin. They then decided to expand their operations in Madison. Enter Newcomb Construction: the tilt-up experts ready to help the brothers take their expansion to the next level.

Adam Winkler, son of founder and CEO Gary Winkler, took the reins on coordinating the new building. Bret Newcomb, president of Newcomb Construction, said, “Adam called me and said we have to build this building in Madison because we’re expanding, and we want it to be a tilt-up building. And I said, you are talking to the right person.”

Adam’s enthusiasm for tilt-up construction was clear. “I’m drawn towards tilt-up concrete in general,” he explained. “I think they’re solid buildings, and there are so many benefits, like long-term value. So I sought out Newcomb.” With over 100 tilt-up projects and many awards under their belt, Newcomb Construction was more than ready for the job.

Spanning over 46,257 square feet and standing 40’ 9” tall, the facility is designed to meet the growing needs of Brothers Desserts. The warehouse will store all of the company’s dry ingredients that are used in production. Additionally, the building includes office space to support company operations.

The warehouse features 73 tilt-up panels, each crafted on-site. The building includes four garage bays designed for semitrucks. Due to limited driveway space, the garages were built at an angle, allowing trucks to easily back in while also giving the structure a unique look.

The building’s exterior combines functionality with style. It features both painted and sandblasted concrete with a decorative metal plating at the top. To achieve the dazzling white concrete look, slag was used in the mixture—a first for Newcomb Construction. Slag is a finely ground byproduct of steel production that improves the strength of concrete and lightens it in color. Slag provides both environmental and cost benefits, while enhancing the structure’s appearance.

The new warehouse in Madison isn’t just functional; it’s eye-catching. With a decorative concrete exterior, the building has a natural, sophisticated look. Adam shared: “We’re using white concrete, and I wanted to sandblast it to give it a natural stone finish with a bit of exposed aggregate.” The result? A building as cool as the ice cream it will help produce.

Thanks to Newcomb’s expertise and Brothers Desserts’s vision, this Madison warehouse is set to become a reflection of the company’s growing success.