A Mercer County business that's made a tasty name for itself is getting bigger and adding jobs.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced on Friday that Joy Cone would expand its cookie manufacturing operations to meet increasing market demand for cookie and wafer products.

State officials say expansion of the Hermitage food processor, which already employees 368 people, will eventually employ a total of 400 workers.

As part of the expansion, Joy Cone will invest in a new, high output wafer line. This will fund the purchases of new machinery and equipment, and employee retainment and training, positioning their Pennsylvania operations for long-term growth.

Joy Cone received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development for the project. The proposal includes a $450,000 Pennsylvania First grant, a comprehensive funding tool to facilitate increased investment and job creation within the commonwealth.

The company has pledged to invest more than $10 million in the project and create and retain at least 400 full-time jobs over the next three years.

"Given the growing demand for our product, we knew we needed to purchase this new equipment quickly, and this grant is a tremendous help as we manage this significant capital cost," said David George, the President/CEO of Joy Cone Co.

The expansion is Joy Cone's second significant capital investment in the region in less than three years.

Established in 1918 and operating at its existing Mercer County location since 1964, Joy Cone is a leading supplier of cones, wafers, and ice cream inclusions for retail, food services, and industrial/dairy markets in North America.

Hermitage is home to Joy Cone's headquarters and two production facilities that create products for their label and the private label market.

Major customers of Joy Cone include Walmart, Kroger, Aldi, McDonald's, Dairy Queen, and Unilever.