Sep 17, 2007 10:59 AM

Akron NY-based Perry’s Ice Cream will launch a $5 million expansion that will permit the firm to conduct more operations onsite, as well as cutting costs and adding employees.

A 17,500-square-foot cold-storage facility is planned at the Akron location. Perry’s also intends to convert part of a dry storage area into a 40-degree storage cooler and obtain manufacturing equipment. The number of employees is expected to grow from 285 to 290, and completion of this expansion project is anticipated to be in March 2008.

Established in 1918 as a home-delivery dairy business, Perry’s started producing ice cream in 1932. The company makes more than 10 million gallons of ice cream and other frozen desserts annually.