Last updated on June 6th, 2016 at 03:43 pm
Blue Bell Creameries has begun production at its facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The move comes just after the Brenham, Texas-based company’s products returned to stores in select areas following the all-product recall earlier this year.
“We are pleased to be producing ice cream in Broken Arrow,” said Blue Bell CEO and President Paul Kruse. “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 Broken Arrow plant will be on a limited basis as the company seeks to confirm that new procedures, facility enhancements and employee training have been effective. Ice cream will be tested and released for sale only after tests show it is safe.
There is no firm date for when ice cream from the Broken Arrow facility will be available for sale.
“We have been working diligently to prepare the Broken Arrow facility to resume production and, based on our experience at our Sylacauga, Alabama, plant, we anticipate that our new procedures and enhancements will also be effective in Oklahoma,” said Greg Bridges, VP of operations for Blue Bell.
The Blue Bell production facility in Alabama began producing ice cream in late July and, after several weeks of building inventory, the company began distributing products in Austin, Brenham and Houston, Texas, and in Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama, on Aug. 31. The main Blue Bell plant in Brenham, Texas, 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,” added Bridges, ”and we are extremely grateful for the incredible patience and loyalty our customers have shown to Blue Bell.”
