State and company officials were on hand Monday as Wells Dairy broke ground for its new 26-million dollar headquarters in Le Mars. Wells C-E-O Gary Wells says the building will be more than bricks and mortar. He says they’ll be able to take “innovation to new heights and position Wells Dairy and the Blue Bunny Brand for great success in the future.” Wells added 64 new jobs Monday to go along with the expansion. Iowa Economic Development Department Director Michael Blouin says the 92-year-old company will continue making an important contribution to the state. He says the company is as important to Iowa as Wells Fargo, another company that got state money to help it expand. State Representative Clarence Hoffman of Charter Oak is on the House Economic Development committee that pushed for the Iowa Values Fund that helped Wells with state aid. Hoffman says they’re concerned about rural Iowa and agriculture and this project helps grow both. The construction on the new Wells headquarters is expected to be completed by next fall.
