Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings, Inc., has broken ground on a $100 million expansion project that will triple the capacity of its Bakersfield novelty facility, while adding packed ice cream capabilities to the mix.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif.-Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings, Inc., has broken ground on a $100 million expansion project that will triple the capacity of its Bakersfield novelty facility, while adding packed ice cream capabilities to the mix.

The expansion project was preceded in February by the closing of Dreyer's Union City facility, the last of its Bay-area plants. The expansion is expected to create 250 new jobs next spring.

Dreyer's Bakersfield Operations Center currently supports 450 ice cream makers and staff and churns out 90 different types of frozen snacks, including Drumstick, Nestlé Crunch Bars, Push-Ups, Toll House Cookie Sandwiches, and Carnation Ice Cream Sandwiches. The company will add 400,000 sq. ft. and five ice cream production lines, to run products like Dreyer's Grand ice cream and the new Slow Churned Dreyer's Grand Light.

Originally built as a Nestlé ice cream plant in 1988, the Bakersfield facility will be Dreyer's largest and most state-of-the-art operation, with a total of 650,000 square feet and a manufacturing capacity of 70 million gals.

Last month Dreyer's reported a first-quarter net loss of $18.8 million, compared to $9.3 million a year ago. The gap in the numbers year-over-year is due to the merger of Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream and Nestlé Ice Cream Company last June.