COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Region’s reputation as a food production powerhouse just got a little tastier. Dupon USA, the Belgian-based leader in ice cream industry solutions, has announced a massive $33 million investment to construct a new 175,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on the city’s East Side.
Located at 1700 East 17th Avenue, the new plant will specialize in producing the “crunch” behind the cones—specifically baked wafers, cookies, and various inclusions used by major ice cream brands and food producers across North America.
Job Creation and Economic Impact
The expansion is set to more than triple Dupon’s local workforce, adding 60 new high-quality jobs to its existing team of 28. This move transitions the company’s Columbus presence from a logistics-focused hub to a full-scale manufacturing powerhouse.
“Columbus offers the access, infrastructure, and business environment we need to scale our operations,” said Dick D’Hoore, Owner & CEO of Dupon USA. “We are proud to continue building our future here.”
Why Columbus?
City leaders and economic development officials pointed to several key factors that secured the deal:
- Centralized Logistics: Proximity to major North American consumer markets.
- Industry Clustering: Ohio’s established strength in food science and advanced manufacturing.
- Foreign Investment: The project highlights the growing trend of international companies choosing Central Ohio for their North American headquarters.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther hailed the move as a “sweet vote of confidence” for the city, noting that the investment strengthens the community by providing stable manufacturing roles for local residents.
Strengthening the Global Connection
The project was made possible through a collaboration between JobsOhio, the Columbus Partnership, and local government. J.P. Nauseef, President and CEO of JobsOhio, noted that Dupon’s decision reinforces Ohio’s competitive edge in attracting global firms looking to “build, hire, and serve” on a continental scale.
As Dupon USA prepares to break ground, the facility is expected to become a cornerstone of the industrial ice cream supply chain, ensuring that the wafers and crunches found in freezers across the country have an “Ohio-made” stamp on them.
