DUNKIRK, N.Y. — A major employer in the Southern Tier is moving forward with its building project. thanks to a government helping hand. 2 On Your Side was in Dunkirk Tuesday as Governor Kathy Hochul visited to hear the applause for job creation.
Governor Hochul stopped in Chautauqua County to emphasize how the state government is helping Wells Manufacturing with the $425 Million expansion of its ice cream manufacturing plant. It is a sweet deal, if you will, but again the government is helping.
There was applause as you might expect as the Empire State's chief executive took the platform this afternoon to acknowledge an economic development project first announced in September 2023 this major construction is to be completed in phases by 2028. It essentially doubles the footprint of the ice cream maker's Dunkirk plant and quadruples its output for products under the Blue Bunny and Bomb Pop brands and the overall corporate family umbrella of the massive Italy-based candy maker Ferrero Industries.
Liam Killeen says "Our company history now goes back 110 years and we have grown to be the largest privately owned ice cream manufacturer in the country."
Chase Beck is a 20-year employee who says "More opportunities in the future. I still have my job you know and have progress all the way till retirement."
The expansion project also includes something rather unique from what we're hearing in the ice cream manufacturing industry. That is a specific unit that will make chocolate that can be used in their products.
This will be an internal element instead of relying on other vendors for their chocolate supply.
Adam Baumgartner, the Wells Enterprises V.P. of Communications says "A brand new state of the art, one of a kind in the country chocolate facility within our new plant that is going to be specifically designed to manufacture chocolate to be used as ingredients, coatings, etc. in our ice cream products. We're really thrilled and it's going to be a new endeavor for us but we're excited about what it brings to our factory."
While this expansion has a major economic impact on the Southern Tier community, Wells like most manufacturers has had ups and downs in corporate fortunes and employment. The firm reported 183 layoffs in a state WARN notice just two years ago.
So Hochul says for the state's taxpayer-supported roughly $18 Million investment of tax incentives and grants, there are requirements the company must meet. "We don't give them an advance and hope that they hire someone. They don't get the money unless they've already hired them. So that's what we're focused on."
The existing Wells ice cream production plant employs about 400 people. They're hoping when this expansion is done that they can hire another 300 or so for their future production lines.