DUNKIRK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Layoffs are coming for employees at Wells Enterprises, an ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturer in Dunkirk.
According to a WARN notice filed Monday, 319 employees will be laid off beginning on December 31, 2022, or the 14-day period commencing on that date. The notice says the reason for the layoffs is "economic."
In July, 7 News reached out to Wells Enterprises after employees reported that officials held conference calls about plans to scale back operations at the facility. A spokesperson for Wells provided the following 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."
