Ice Cream Giant Wells Enterprises Plans $425M New York Expansion
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Wells Enterprises will invest $425 million to expand its ice cream manufacturing facility in Dunkirk, N.Y., nearly doubling the plant’s size and quadrupling production capacity.
The expansion, one of the largest single private investments ever in Chautauqua County, will add 270 new jobs and retain 380 full-time positions at the facility.
Wells, headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa, produces more than 200 million gallons of ice cream annually and distributes products in all 50 states. The company has over 4,000 employees nationwide and operates multiple manufacturing plants for its Blue Bunny, Halo Top, Bomb Pop and Blue Ribbon Classics brands.
The Dunkirk facility at 1 Ice Cream Drive will expand to 350,000 square feet, adding new production lines and a chocolate ingredient manufacturing facility. The expansion will allow Wells to create new product offerings and increase its market presence. Production on the new lines is expected to begin next August.
Killeen
“We couldn’t be more excited about the future of Wells and the role this expansion in Dunkirk will play in our ambition to be the U.S. ice cream category leader,” said Wells CEO and President Liam Killeen. “We are extremely grateful to the State of New York, Chautauqua County and the community of Dunkirk for their unwavering support of our growth. Most importantly, this is testament to the leadership and commitment of every one of our team members in Dunkirk. Their passion, drive and excellence in operations are truly what makes this possible.”
Located near Interstate 90 and Lake Erie, the expanded facility will benefit from excellent logistics access, enhancing Wells’ distribution capabilities across the Northeast and beyond.
A rendering of the Wells Dunkirk facility. (Wells Enterprises)
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul praised the investment, calling it “an important win” that will transform “a struggling plant into a high-tech facility that will benefit New York workers, local business partners and the region’s hardworking dairy farmers.”
Hochul
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said the expansion “will not only help to solidify Wells’ future in Western New York but will also ensure New York State remains a leader in the dairy industry for years to come.”
The expansion is expected to benefit Northeast dairy farmers, as the plant will continue to require millions of pounds of dairy products annually. New York has nearly 3,000 dairy farms that yield 15 billion pounds of milk annually, ranking as the country’s fifth-largest dairy state and fourth in national ice cream manufacturing.
There are 9,000 dairy farmers in the Northeast region, according to the American Dairy Association North East. Nearly 50% of the U.S. milk supply comes from California, Wisconsin, Idaho, Texas and New York, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service stated.
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The increased production will create new opportunities for trucking companies, according to Lesley Bartholomew, Wells’ director of external communications.
“With the increase in volume into the Western New York region by Wells Enterprises, there is a large opportunity and need for both asset-based carriers and brokers to haul our loads for both ingredients and ice cream,” Bartholomew told Transport Topics. She added that the expansion could attract carriers to establish operations in the Dunkirk area or encourage larger carriers to set up satellite locations.
New York state is supporting the expansion with up to $12 million in jobs program tax credits and a $6 million economic development grant in exchange for job creation and capital investments. The county’s industrial development agency is working with Wells’ managers to help expedite the project.
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Wells will continue production in the existing facility during construction. The plant will also continue using Americold’s 181,000-square-foot cold storage facility in Dunkirk, which opened in 2022 with 25,000 pallet positions at minus-20 degrees Fahrenheit.
In 2022, the Ferrero Group acquired Wells Enterprises, making it an independent operating company under Ferrero. Wells, founded in 1913 by Fred H. Wells, had been run by the Wells family for generations before the acquisition.
