Wells Enterprises consolidates presence in USA

USA – Wells Enterprises has opened a new employee center and expanded its production site at its Dunkirk facility.

The milestone marked the completion of the first two phases of the US$425 million facility’s state-of-the-art transformation.

Phase 3, which is currently underway, will add more production lines, while Phase 4 will expand processing capabilities, including raw materials.

The full transformation is expected to be completed in 2028 and is expected to add 270 permanent jobs over the course of the next several years, while retaining existing roles.

Once finished, the 350,000-square-foot facility will be capable of operating 11 to 15 production lines and producing an estimated 20 million cases annually, up from 4 million cases previously.

The event highlighted the company’s meaningful investments in employee experiences, including the highly anticipated amenities in a brand-new, three-story center.

The new building, replacing an over 75-year-old structure, now includes updated breakrooms, cafeteria space, training rooms, offices and additional resources designed to support the team members who power Wells’ operations.

“This celebration reflects the people, partnerships and shared commitment shaping the future of Wells Enterprises in Dunkirk,” said Nicolas Neykov, Chief Operating Officer at Wells Enterprises.

“As we mark this next chapter of growth, we recognize our teams who are the heart of Wells. This transformation is more than an investment in equipment but reflects our commitment to supporting our skilled team with the resources needed to make the best ice cream and bring more joy to our consumers.”

In addition to the new employee center, the event also celebrated the start-up of new production lines and capabilities that began late last year, including a first-of-a-kind Segregated Compound Facility.

Combining Wells’ ice cream manufacturing heritage with Ferrero’s global confectionary leadership, the one-of-a-kind chocolate manufacturing facility is the only Ferrero facility of its kind in the U.S. and creates new capabilities for long-term category growth and future innovation.

The plant also uses new proprietary technology and highly customized capabilities to meet rigorous standards and keep quality at the forefront of every cone, cup, pint and more.

This milestone marks the completion of Phases 1 and 2, including new infrastructure to support initial production lines, freezer capacity, the chocolate facility and the new employee center.

Brad Galles, Chief Manufacturing and Engineering Officer at Wells Enterprises stated, “We are grateful for the continued support of the State of New York, Empire State Development, Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency and the City of Dunkirk as we build on our strong foundation in the region. We look forward to continuing this journey in building this state-of-the-art operation that is vital to our manufacturing network on the East Coast.”

Wells Enterprises purchased the Dunkirk facility in 2019 and broke ground in 2024 on the multi-year, multi-phase transformation.

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