Wells corporation to expand ice cream factory in Dunkirk

The Iowa-based company is the manufacturer of several recognizable ice cream brands, including Blue Bunny, Bomb Pop and Blue Ribbon.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Wells ice cream is set to open an expanded $425 million plant in Dunkirk, it was announced Tuesday.

The Iowa-based company is the manufacturer of several recognizable ice cream brands, including Blue Bunny, Bomb Pop and Blue Ribbon. It is the largest ice cream manufacturer in the country.

Wells CEO Liam Killeen said in a news conference Tuesday that the new facility will significantly expand the output of product from the plant and will bring 270 new jobs to Chautauqua County. The company had laid off 183 people at the end of 2022 as the company was acquired by the Ferrero Group, an Italian manufacturer of chocolate and other products. The jobs will be added in phases over the next few years.

The new facility will be 350,000 square feet, which is more than double their current footprint in Dunkirk. It will produce more than 20 million cases of product, more than four times the current output.

"It'll stimulate the local economy," Killeen said. "It will provide stability for families and for the community."

The project will be completed in multiple phases and is expected to be done by 2028.

You can watch Tuesday's full announcement in the media player above.