Blue Bell Ice Cream to Roll Out in Five Phases

Blue Bell Creameries will begin distributing ice cream to select markets on Monday, August 31. With ice cream production begun in late July at its Sylacauga, Ala., facility, the company notified the FDA and state health officials in Alabama and Texas of its plan to re-enter select markets on a limited basis, rolling out parts of 15 states in five phases.

“Over the past several months we have been working to make our facilities even better, and to ensure that everything we produce is safe, wholesome and of the highest quality,” said Ricky Dickson, vice president of sales and marketing for Blue Bell. 

With additional production facilities in Brenham, Texas, and Broken Arrow, Okla., are undergoing facility and production process upgrades similar to those made at the Alabama plant, the first of the five phases will be similar to how Blue Bell began and include the Brenham, Houston and Austin, Texas, areas, as well as parts of Alabama, (Birmingham and Montgomery) where the product is being made.  The next phases include:

• Phase Two:  North central Texas and southern Oklahoma
• Phase Three:  Southwest Texas and central Oklahoma
• Phase Four:  The majority of Texas and southern Louisiana.
• Phase Five:  Complete the states of Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas and begin distribution in Arkansas, Florida, northern Louisiana and Mississippi. This phase will also include only parts of the following states:  Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Blue Bell will move on to each phase based on product availability and when it can properly service the customers in an area. With the exception of phase one, no other dates have been determined for when each expansion will take place.

For more information and to follow the company’s progress visit bluebell.com.