New York Governor Kathy Hochul participates in the groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new Bills Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., Monday June 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
State Gov. Kathy Hochul will be in Dunkirk later this afternoon for an economic development announcement.
According to her schedule, she is expected to be near the Wells Enterprises location for what could be the ceremonial ground-breaking of its manufacturing facility that would bring more than 200 new jobs to the community.
“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. 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,” said Liam Killeen, CEO of Wells Enterprises, last summer in announcing the plans.
The Dunkirk manufacturing facility 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 output and help support the company’s continued plans for growth in novelty and packaged ice cream, while enabling future innovation.
“The planned expansion of the Dunkirk facility follows our team’s continued strong performance over the last several months. That, coupled with the continued growth plan for our brands and the category overall makes expanding our Dunkirk facility the right choice for Wells,” added Mark Meyer, COO of Wells Enterprises. “We are extremely grateful for the partnerships with Empire State Development, Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, and the City of Dunkirk as their support remains critical to take us over the finish line on this incredibly exciting project.”