Tony Lamb’s Kona Ice, Building a $200 Million Ice Cream Empire

Mainland's media relations department recently secured national press coverage for a client as part of the ultimate demonstration of a company mantra: “brands don't sell brands, people do.” When personal finance reporter Daniel de Vise? was looking for a subject for a story for USA Today about millionaires who built their wealth from “essentially nothing,” it was that strategy and a history of great relationships between Mainland and the media that led to the coverage for Tony Lamb, CEO and founder of Mainland client Kona Ice.

McQuillan attributes the placement to Mainland's reputation and years of experiences sharing stories. “Not only can we reach out to reporters with stories, but they come to us for stories” McQuillan said. “This is what we do.”

In the feature, Lamb shares the story behind the $200 million company that he started in 2007. Lamb was inspired to create a better ice cream truck experience after seeing a rundown truck sell subpar popsicles to his children. He envisioned a clean, colorful truck with high-quality products and reasonable prices. With a background in door-to-door sales, Lamb invested $500,000, borrowed from a friend’s in-laws, to launch Kona Ice.

The concept was innovative: customers could create their own snow cones by adding flavored syrup from spouts on the truck. The business started as a side hustle but quickly grew. In 2009, Lamb began franchising, with buyers investing $100,000 per truck. This ensured professional drivers and expanded the business significantly.

Kona Ice trucks, now nearly 1,900 in number, often partner with schools and youth sports leagues, donating part of their proceeds (which total $180 million to date). Lamb attributes the company's success to the universal appeal of ice cream trucks and the affordable joy they bring, especially during economic downturns.

This story is just one of many national placements Mainland's media relations team has secured for clients, and just one of many more to come as they focus on the people behind successful brands and the powerful stories they have to tell.