Production resumes at 2nd Blue Bell plant
With products back in some stores, company ramps up Okla. facility.
Blue Bell Creameries says it has resumed production at its Broken Arrow, Okla., plant, marking the next stage for the Brenham-based company to return its ice cream business to full capacity.
Blue Bell restarted production at its Sylacauga, Ala., plant in late July and built inventory for several weeks before returning its products to stores in some areas on Monday.
“We are pleased to be producing ice cream in Bro-
ken Arrow,” Blue Bell CEO and President Paul Kruse said in a statement. “We are humbled by the incredible customer loyalty we have seen, and we thank our customers for their continued patience as we work through the process of resuming production and getting back into stores.”
Production at the facility will be on a limited basis as the company looks to confirm that its procedures, facility upgrades and employee training “have been effective” against concerns of another listeria outbreak, Blue Bell said.
The company said there is “no firm date” for when the Broken Arrow products could be sold.
“We have been working diligently to prepare the Broken Arrow facility to resume production and, based on our experience at our Sylacauga, Ala., plant, we anticipate that our new procedures and enhancements will also be effective in Oklahoma,” said Greg Bridg- es, vice president of operations for Blue Bell.
The company said its Brenham plant is “still undergoing upgrades similar to those made in Alabama and Oklahoma.”
“We are excited to begin producing ice cream in a second facility to better meet the demand of consumers,” Bridges said. “We are extremely grateful for the incredible patience and loyalty our customers have shown to Blue Bell.”
The 108-year-old company recalled about 8 mil- lion gallons of its products in April after federal officials linked 10 cases of listeria, including three deaths, to Blue Bell products. So far, the source of the listeria hasn’t been uncovered.
The company said ice cream from the Broken Arrow plant will be tested and released for sale only after tests show it is safe.
Blue Bell began production at its Alabama plant in late July. On Monday, it returned with four flavors to stores in 25 Texas counties, including Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Burnet and Llano.
Blue Bell has said it will resume distribution in parts of 15 states in five phases. Now that its first phase is underway, its second phase will include North Central Texas and Southern Oklahoma, followed by Southwest Texas, Central Oklahoma and subsequently the majority of Texas and Southern Louisiana.
The final phase will be in all of Alabama and Oklahoma and distribution in Arkansas, Florida, North Louisiana and Mississippi. The products will also be stocked in parts of Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia during this phase.