Columbus is getting a bigger slice of the ice-cream business. Belgium-based Dupon USA is expanding its local footprint with a new manufacturing plant that will bring 60 additional jobs to the city, significantly boosting the company’s current Columbus headcount.
Plant, Investment And Jobs
According to a company announcement reported by ABC6, Dupon is investing $33 million to build a roughly 175,000-square-foot facility at 1700 East 17th Avenue. The plant will produce baked wafers, cookies and “crunch” inclusions that end up inside ice-cream products sold across North America. The company says the expansion is designed to add manufacturing capacity as demand in the region grows.
Owner and CEO Dick D'Hoore said in the announcement, “This expansion represents an important next step for our company as we grow our presence in the United States.” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther called the move “a sweet vote of confidence for Columbus,” according to ABC6. The new roles will build on Dupon’s existing 28 local positions.
What Dupon Makes And Why Columbus
Dupon USA designs filling and hardening equipment and runs baking and packaging operations that supply cones, wafers and other inclusions to the frozen-dessert industry, according to Dupon USA. Its U.S. operations include multiple bakeries and packaging lines aimed at high-volume industrial customers. Company officials told reporters the Columbus site offers logistics and infrastructure advantages that make it a strategic base for ramping up production.
Site, Parcel Data And Regional Context
Property listings indicate the parcel at 1700 E. 17th Ave covers roughly 25 acres, large enough to accommodate the planned industrial building, according to LoopNet. The Dupon project arrives amid a broader wave of food-manufacturing activity in the region, including Wyandot Snacks’ recent expansion, which highlights Columbus’ draw for food producers, per the Columbus Region. Local leaders say the investment could widen manufacturing job opportunities in the area if Dupon’s hiring plans play out as described.
Dupon has not released a public construction or hiring timeline. Company and city officials shared the announcement as the main update for now, with more details expected as planning and permitting move ahead.
