Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Chautauqua County once again to celebrate a big state-assisted project: expansion by Wells Enterprises of what many locals still call Dunkirk Ice Cream.

Before the governor’s speech, the Chief Executive of Wells revealed that what Wells had announced in 2023 as a $250,000,000 project had now grown into a $425,000,000 investment in a new plant and state-of-the-art equipment in Dunkirk. The news that Wells, based in Iowa, had upped its investment in Dunkirk to $425,000,000 puts that nearly half a billion dollar investment in the same league as Cummins’ investment in its Jamestown engine Plant (JEP).

Both massive investments here in Chautauqua County, New York have at least three things in common.

First, both projects are happening at their existing locations. Neither are new businesses to Chautauqua County at new sites here. Chautauqua County currently does not have any shovel-ready industrial sites that could have been the home for any new projects of the scope of Wells or Cummins. We must get ready for more economic development and jobs.

Second, critical to both of these projects has been benefits awarded by the State of New York. Chautauqua County leaders would be well-advised to publicly treat New York State as an essential partner in economic development and job creation in the County. For many years many of our leaders in Mayville have publicly blamed all of our woes and shortcomings on New York State.

New York State has conferred $18,000,000 in assistance to the Wells project which was 7% of the original estimated investment of $250,000,000. New York State will provide $10,000,000 in Excelsior tax credits to support the Cummins project.

Just two months ago Governor Hochul came to Dunkirk-Fredonia to announce that the State of New York would invest $74,000,000 in a brand new Brooks Hospital. The economic future of the Dunkirk-Fredonia area is absolutely dependent upon a new, viable local hospital. It is inconceivable that Wells would make this huge investment in Dunkirk if the nearest hospital for its employees and their loved ones were going to be in Buffalo or Erie.

Third, both projects demonstrate the huge investment needed to create industrial jobs in 21st Century America. Wells says its $425,000,000 investment in Dunkirk will preserve 380 jobs and add 270 new jobs for a projected total of 650 jobs, which will be an investment of $650,000 per job. Cummins’ $450,000,000 investment will preserve the existing 1,400 jobs and add 200 more at its JEP. The 1,600 jobs will have had an investment of $280,000 per job.

We must encourage and support these kinds of massive investments in our County. It is likely that investments of the magnitude of Wells and Cummins will secure employment for thousands of workers for many years to come. Some in our community question where the additional workers will come from. In America, however, people will move to where the good jobs are.

We probably all know younger workers who have left Chautauqua County to accept a better job opportunity elsewhere. The same roads taken out of here can bring new workers to Chautauqua County. Those roads are not one-way highways.

Additional good news for Chautauqua County is the conservative projection that for every new manufacturing job, another new job is created to support those manufacturers. Chautauqua County desperately needs these new jobs in order to stem our serious population loss over the past 14 years. During that short time we have shrunk by over 7,000 residents. The population drop is the equivalent of losing the combined population of 7 villages; Brocton (1,335), Bemus Point (312), Celoron (1,080), Mayville (1,484), Panama (4,65), Sherman (681) and Sinclairville (578).

We must stop this decline and grow our community again. Thanks to Wells and Cummins, we have a fighting chance to turn this County around and once again grow our economy and attract new and better jobs for our children and grandchildren.

We must embrace this challenge.

Fred Larson is former county attorney and current county legislator representing Jamestown.