One of Louisville’s favorite treats will soon be in freezers across the country. Gov. Steve Beshear and Mayor Greg Fischer today announced The Comfy Cow plans to establish its first standalone production facility in Louisville.
The Comfy Cow, a local ice cream producer and retailer, is expected to create up to 50 new jobs and invest $2 million into the project. The facility will allow The Comfy Cow to produce and sell its premium ice cream to retail establishments throughout the U.S.
“Today’s announcement is a sweet treat in a number of ways,” said Gov. Beshear. “Not only is The Comfy Cow creating 50 new jobs, but the company’s growth also is a great example of how demand for Kentucky-made products is extending beyond our state’s borders. I want to congratulate the company on its success and look forward to The Comfy Cow being a household name nationwide.”
“This is exactly the kind of stories we are working to create – a homegrown, authentic and entrepreneurial business takes seed, grows within our community then achieves national success,” said Mayor Fischer. “The Comfy Cow’s national growth plan also underscores yet again how vibrant and creative Louisville’s food and beverage industry has become, second to none.”
The Comfy Cow plans to lease a 6,500-square-foot facility in the Regency Pointe Business Center in Jeffersontown. The operation is expected to be up and running by early April.
“We are beyond thrilled,” said Tim Koons-McGee, one of the original founders of the company. “The Commissary expansion will allow us to not only expand our franchise footprint regionally and nationally, but our grocery store presence as well. We are currently selling our product to Whole Foods of Louisville and have an opportunity in the near term to expand that presence to their entire Mid-Atlantic Region. Long term, we are planning on a much broader national grocery store presence. Being able to expand into a state-of-the-art facility, built to our specifications, really gives us unlimited opportunities.”
Partners Tim and Roy Koons-McGee opened the first Comfy Cow store in Louisville’s Westport Village in December 2009. Since the company’s inception, they set out to create a business that offered both great ice cream and a great ice cream experience by producing a high quality, super-premium ice cream served in a family friendly, fun and funky atmosphere. The Comfy Cow uses many fresh and local ingredients in its products.
In addition to the Westport Village location, The Comfy Cow also has retail locations on Frankfort Avenue, Bardstown Road and the University of Louisville campus. Currently, the ice cream for these locations is made on-site, but production will be moved to the new facility.
“The Comfy Cow is a great example of quality food products made locally and now being recognized on a larger scale,” said Sen. Julie Raque Adams, of Louisville. “This is excellent news, and I am proud to continue supporting the growth and entrepreneurship of quality companies such as The Comfy Cow.”
“Louisville has and continues to be an important economic hub for the region and the Commonwealth, especially when it comes to locally owned businesses like The Comfy Cow,” said Rep. Jerry Miller, of Louisville. “I am pleased they will offer their line of outstanding products in my district.”
To encourage the investment and job growth in Jefferson County, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $350,000 through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the term of the agreement through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
A detailed community profile for Louisville (Jefferson County) can be viewed here.
Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at www.ThinkKentucky.com. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion on Facebook or follow on Twitter. Watch the Cabinet’s “This is My Kentucky” video on YouTube.