Rick Kozikowski gives ice cream company a Tailem Bend connection
Golden North’s new business development manager is one of several familiar faces it will lean on as it sets up in the Murraylands.
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For many people in Tailem Bend, the name Kozikowski is instantly familiar.
It is a family name that has been woven into the fabric of the community for generations, and today, Rick Kozikowski is proudly continuing that connection while helping write a new chapter for one of South Australia’s most loved brands.
Raised at Tailem Bend, Rick attended the local primary school before high school in Murray Bridge and uni in Adelaide.
He and his wife Cassie have raised their own two children in the town, and his parents still call Tailem Bend home.
The Kozikowski family has long been known throughout the district.
Rick’s father, Kozi, was well known through his music shop in Tailem Bend, a place that many locals remember fondly; while his mother, Jeanette, spent years working at Tailem Bend Primary School, becoming a familiar and trusted face to generations of students and families.
“Tailem Bend has always been home,” Rick said.
“My family has strong connections here and I’m proud to still be part of the community.”
Those local roots have shaped a career spent supporting South Australian industries.
After working in finance roles with George Weston Foods and the local pork industry, Rick moved into the dairy sector in 2005 and has remained there ever since.
Today, he is business services manager with Golden North, the iconic South Australian ice cream maker that recently relocated from Laura to Murray Bridge.
He recently represented the company at the Murraylands Business Awards.
For Rick, the move was about much more than numbers and reports.
“Golden North is a South Australian company with a long history,” he said.
“It’s a brand that people know and trust.
“Bringing production to Murray Bridge means local jobs, support for local suppliers and opportunities for the region.”
Golden North’s story stretches back more than a century in Laura, where generations of South Australians grew up with its famous ice cream.
Now, as the company establishes itself in Murray Bridge, Rick is excited to help build its future.
“We’re looking forward to making ice cream at the new factory,” he said.
“It’s a big challenge, but it’s also a great opportunity.”
For a man whose family name has become part of Tailem Bend’s story, helping a proud South Australian brand find a new home just down the road feels like a natural fit.
After all, community, tradition and looking to the future are values that both the Kozikowski family and Golden North share.
