Many of the ice cream cones that you see on your local grocers shelves or get from a neighborhood ice cream shop are made locally.
Joy Cone Company has been a part of the Shenango Valley since 1918 and have grown leaps and bounds since it first opened.
"In 1964, I wasn't quite around at that time," said David George, the company's president. "But our total sales, gross sales, were $25,000."
Today, Joy produces more than one billion cones each year, and they're looking to add to that.
"We need to increase capacity," said George. "We last expanded in 2004 and 2005. Since that time, our sales have increased more than 30 percent."
The company is adding 190,000 square feet to their facility.
They're already industry leaders in retail and food service sales, and the expansion will allow them to add a new customer.
"We are going into the dairy pack business," said George. "That would be selling sugar cones to a dairy that then fills the cones and sells them to stores."
Joy has achieved this growth despite a very tough economy. George thinks the reason for continued success is fairly simple.
"Cones are a relatively inexpensive treat," said George. "Anybody can go and afford to buy an ice cream cone. So it's something you can afford even in tough times. And it's also a feel-good item."
Joy currently employs 386 people in Hermitage. The new addition will allow them to hire up to 50 more. Joy hopes to break ground on the expansion by May 1 and be in the new addition before the end of 2010.
