Unilever investing $108 million to expand West Tenn. ice cream factory; adding 428 jobs

COVINGTON, Tenn. – Consumer products supplier Unilever says it is investing $108 million to expand operations at a West Tennessee factory that makes ice cream under the brand names Breyers, Klondike, Good Humor and Popsicle.

Unilever officials and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced the expansion at the factory location in Covington on Thursday. They said the expansion will add 428 full-time jobs over a four-year period, giving the company a workforce of about 1,000 in this city of about 9,000 people.

Officials said the expansion will allow increased production capacity of the ice cream novelty and frozen dessert factory and the purchase of new machinery and equipment for additional production lines for the Anglo-Dutch company.

Plans include an 11,000-square-foot engine room expansion and a 90,000-square-foot parking lot expansion.