Pa. Approves $1.7M Infrastructure Project to Support Joy Cone
HERMITAGE, Pa.– The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development has approved $1.73 million in new funding for transportation infrastructure improvements to support a plant expansion at Joy Cone, the agency announced Tuesday.
“This investment is helping to create jobs and boost the economy by supporting the needs of a growing business,” said DCDE Secretary Dennis Davin. “Improving the main access areas to Joy Cone’s facility will better serve the company’s employees and residents while allowing this manufacturer to continue to thrive in Mercer County.”
The City of Hermitage was approved for up to $1.73 million in Transportation Infrastructure Investment Funds to make road improvements to state Route 18 and Lamor Road, which are key access points for the manufacturing plant. The enhancements will improve truck access, operational efficiencies, and safety.
Recently the Hermitage Board of Commissioners approved Joy Cone’s land development plan for a 200,000-square-foot addition, which includes an investment of $30 million and the creation of 90 new jobs.
Joy Cone is recognized as the world’s largest producer of ice cream cones.
The expansion will enhance the company’s cookie manufacturing operation, which makes cookies that are chopped and used in ice cream. Among its clients are national chains such as Dairy Queen and McDonald’s, retailers such as Kroger and Walmart, and food manufacturers Wells, Nestle and Unilever. The expansion also opens up the potential for the company to enter the retail cookie market.
“This investment shows how transportation and our economy work hand-in-hand to support jobs and our quality of life,” Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Yassmin Gramian said. “We are expanding on other investments PennDOT has made in the area to safely move people and goods while supporting the community.”
The TIIF funding follows an early 2020 announcement by Governor Tom Wolf that his Governor’s Action Team worked with Joy Cone to support its expanding operations, bringing more than 400 full-time jobs to the region by 2023.
The Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund program is administered in cooperation with DCED and PennDOT.
Pictured: In this file photo, Joy Cone plant manager Tyler Tupper and President/CEO David George inspect the production line on the shop floor.
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