OBSERVER file photo

Major changes are coming to the Dunkirk Wells ice cream location.

In a statement this morning, the company announced it has made the difficult decision to “scale back operations … in 2023 to five production lines. Our intention is to continue our normal operations for the remainder of 2022.”

Employees of the location were apparently given the news on Wednesday. Before this week, the company had undergone a major expansion totaling nearly $90 million. As part of the downsizing layoffs of up to 250 workers could be possible. Here is the full company statement:

“Wells Enterprises is always evaluating and evolving our business strategies to ensure the long-term sustainability of our organization and to meet consumer demand for our products.

“As market trends shift in our industry, we adapt and optimize our operations to ensure continued success of our business. We recently completed a comprehensive review of our manufacturing footprint and our needs to support our overall business strategy. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to scale back operations at our Dunkirk, New York facility in 2023 to 5 production lines. Our intention is to continue our normal operations for the remainder of 2022.

“We are still working through communicating specific details to our employees including the impact and transition plans. Dunkirk remains strategically important for our organization. We are committed to supporting every team member affected by providing transitional benefits and outplacement assistance.”