DUNKIRK, NY – Wells Enterprises is planning to expand its manufacturing facility in Dunkirk, New York, making a significant investment to create a world-class ice cream plant on its current property.
“We are extremely excited to build on the strength of our team in Dunkirk and continue to work with the community to grow and expand our operations here,” said Liam Killeen, CEO of Wells Enterprises. The investment in Dunkirk illustrates our passion to provide high-quality premium ice cream products that bring joy to consumers around the world. The planned expansion also reinforces our dedication to our team, consumers, and the community as a critical part of the long-term future of our company.”
The project will allow the company to add more than 200 new jobs and retain 401 existing full-time jobs. The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency provided support necessary for company executives to officially greenlight the project on Tuesday.
Mark Geise, CEO of the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, said, “I am proud that the CCIDA was able to assist the Ferrero Group and Wells Enterprises in bringing this exciting project to fruition. They have been a great partner, and I am grateful that they recognize the quality of the workforce in Dunkirk and chose to make their investment here in our community.”
New York State is supporting the project with up to $10 million in Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits and a $6 million grant from Empire State Development (ESD) in exchange for job creation and capital investment commitments.
The Dunkirk manufacturing facility, located at 1 Ice Cream Drive, plays an important role in the company’s expansion plans for its national manufacturing network of its Blue Bunny, Halo Top, Bomb Pop and Blue Ribbon Classics brands. The expansion is anticipated to more than double the facility's current production capacity and help support the company’s continued plans for growth in novelty and packaged ice cream, while enabling future innovation.
Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel said, “We are excited to see Wells’ long-term commitment to Chautauqua County and the City of Dunkirk, New York. With the proposed plan from Wells, who was recently acquired by the Ferrero Group, seeing a global company plan to make this significant investment in our community is a testament to the quality of Chautauqua County’s local workforce. I’d also like to thank the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, under the direction of Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and Chief Executive Officer Mark Geise, for their hard work to make this project possible.”
Construction will begin on the new facility in the last quarter of 2023. It will include all new production lines, cold storage, and administrative office space. Wells will continue to manufacture ice cream products in the existing facility while construction of the new plant is underway.
“New York State’s economic development team worked diligently to negotiate the terms to build a new, state-of-art ice cream manufacturing plant in Chautauqua County,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “This project will be a win for hundreds of plant workers, a victory for many local business partners that benefit from the facility, and an important success story for the region’s overall economy.”
The company’s success is strongly supported by local dairy farmers who provide the majority of the fluid milk used at the facility today. The planned expansion will continue to utilize millions of pounds of dairy annually. That number is expected to grow along with the overall consumption of ice cream. Fortune Business Insights estimates the global ice cream market will reach $104.96 billion in 2029, up from $71.52 billion in 2021—a 46% jump in less than a decade due to the world’s craving for ice cream.
City of Dunkirk Mayor Willie Rosas said, “The City of Dunkirk is excited for Wells Enterprises 21st Century rebuild and expansion. We are pleased for the hundreds of hard-working employees now at Wells – and the hundreds to be added with the planned expansion – who can plan and build on a generation’s worth of good-paying jobs. These jobs will help populate our schools, create additional value in our city, and allow the employees and their families to live, work, and thrive in our community.”
The Ferrero Group recently acquired Wells Enterprises, its operations and its ice cream brands.
The two family-owned businesses have a strong history of success. Ferrero, which was founded in 1946, has grown to become a global leader in sweet-packaged foods, including confectionary, ice cream, biscuits, and snacks. Wells has become the world’s largest family owned and managed ice cream company since it was founded in 1913 as a dairy delivery business.
