Wells Enterprises plans on replacing its current manufacturing plant with a new plant and new lines. Up to 200 new jobs will be added when the project is finished. Submitted photo

What a difference a year makes.

In July 2022, Wells Enterprises announced that it was scaling back operations at its Dunkirk facilities, which would mean the elimination of hundreds of jobs.

A year later, there are now plans in place that will increase the plant to bring back even more jobs than it first lost.

On Tuesday, Wells Enterprises announced plans for the expansion of its Dunkirk manufacturing facility, which will bring more than 200 new jobs to the Dunkirk community.

“The new, state-of-art ice cream manufacturing plant in Chautauqua County will create jobs and spur economic growth for years to come,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “This project is 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.”

According to Hochul, the 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 in exchange for job creation and capital investment commitments. The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency is also working with the management team of Wells to provide the support necessary for company executives to officially greenlight the project.

On Tuesday, the county IDA passed three “due diligence” resolutions to begin the process of investigating a Payment In Lieu Of Tax agreement and other tax incentives.

“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,” said Mark Geise, county IDA chairman. “The ice cream plant will also continue to utilize Americold’s new cold-storage distribution facility located in the town of Dunkirk, which is providing much-needed storage for the food supply chain in the area. Americold’s $41 million project was supported by up to $700,000 in performance-based taxed credits through the Excelsior Jobs Program in return for the creation of 60 full-time jobs.”

In July 2022, Wells Enterprises said it was going to lay off 319 people by the end of the year. That number was reduced to around 180.

Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas is glad for the turnaround. “The city is excited for Wells Enterprises for this 21st Century rebuild and expansion and thankful to the company for understanding and appreciating our city’s history and commitment to making high-quality ice cream for our region and the nation,” he said.

He continued, “We are also pleased for the hundreds of hard-working employees now at Wells – and the hundreds of jobs 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.”

Rosas was in attendance at Tuesday’s IDA meeting and said a presentation will be made at Wednesday’s Planning Board where additional details will be discussed.

Plans call for the current facility to be replaced and new lines added. At the IDA meeting, officials with Wells said this is a two-year project, with the goal to start demolition and construction by October and then be finished by the end of 2025.

Other local officials issued statements of praise.

State Senator George Borrello said, “Wells Enterprises’ expanded investment in our region is a huge ‘win’ that will create jobs, boost demand from our dairy farmers and enhance our local economy. With its strong foothold in the food processing industry, Dunkirk has the infrastructure and workforce necessary to support this exciting expansion. My appreciation goes out to the Governor, the team at Empire State Development and all the local partners who worked to make this happen. It’s a testament to the great things that can be achieved through collaboration.”

Assemblymember Andrew Goodell said, “The ice cream facility operated by Wells has been an extremely important part of the economy of Northern Chautauqua County for many decades. It is very exciting to see this substantial investment and a corresponding increase in employment. This project will help ensure that this facility will continue for many years to make high quality ice cream and novelty products with a well-deserved reputation for great taste!”

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.”

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.