Eldon, Missouri based Ice Cream Factory is expanding its operations.
The family-owned ice cream company plans to buy and renovate the Mid-Am Dairy building in Lebanon.
The purchase includes 86,000 square feet of space.
The move is a $9 million dollar investment in the city of Lebanon.
The company plans to create 130 jobs over the next five years.
Work on the project is expected to be finished by summer of 2023.
ICF owners, Shannon and Katie Imler
Press Release
Family-owned Ice Cream Factory (ICF) of Eldon has announced the expansion of its Missouri footprint with the purchase of a more than 86,000 square foot former industrial facility and adjacent properties in Lebanon, which will serve as the new company manufacturing plant while still maintaining a strong Eldon presence.
The move will bring a $9 million investment to the City of Lebanon, creating 130 total jobs over the next five years.
ICF owners, Shannon and Katie Imler, plan to renovate and locate the facility in the former Mid-Am Dairy building on Kansas Street. The facility will not only house operations, but the Imlers’ plan on a retail component that will make the operation a tourist destination.
Lebanon Mayor Jared Carr said he is excited to welcome Ice Cream Factory to the City of Lebanon believing the industry will be a great fit for the city.
“We are thrilled that the Imler family has chosen Lebanon as the new home base for Ice Cream Factory,” Carr said. “This investment in Lebanon will be great for our community and help bring more diversification to our local economy. We are also excited that the Imler family will also bring one of Lebanon’s oldest commercial buildings back into full service.”
The Mid-Am Dairy building was initially built in the late 1940s. The ICF investment will recapture a piece of the community’s past with an eye toward the future.
Shannon Imler said Lebanon is the perfect fit for the small-batch, family-owned, craft ice cream operation.
“Our family-owned company is ecstatic to announce our expansion with the purchase of the former Mid-Am Dairy building,” Imler said. “Lebanon has a rich history in the dairy industry, and we believe our growing company is a perfect fit for the community. Ice cream makes you happy and Ice Cream Factory is proud to bring endless smiles to Lebanon.”
Ice Cream Factory began in 2019, and as of Jan. 1, the product is carried by more than 1,000 retailers and is sold in 16 states. The company focuses on quality, using locally sourced, farm-to-table ingredients, handmade ice cream inclusions made at their own bakery and high butterfat dairy.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the facility is scheduled for early March with completion expected by summer 2023.
