Last updated on June 6th, 2016 at 03:06 pm
Blue Bell Ice Cream will enter phase five of its market re-entry plan over a two-week period beginning Jan. 18.
The week of Jan. 18 will include middle and eastern Tennessee, the northern sections of Alabama and Georgia and parts of Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The week of Jan. 25 will include all of Florida, southern Georgia and the southern tip of South Carolina.
“Our fans in phase five have been waiting on this news for a long time,” said Ricky Dickson, VP of sales and marketing for Brenham, Texas-based Blue Bell. “We will begin filling stores on Jan. 18, but due to the size of the area and the number of stores to be serviced, it will take additional time to deliver to all locations. All of us at Blue Bell are very thankful for the patience and support our customers have shown during this time.”
At the completion of this phase all of the company’s furloughed employees will have returned to work.
Prior to the fifth phase, Blue Bell will enter a bonus phase on Jan. 11, which includes the El Paso, Texas, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee, areas.
“Upon the completion of phase five, we will turn our attention to building inventory for the spring as well as adding additional products and flavors to our lineup,” Dickson added. “Even though we do not have a specific date, we plan to expand our sales territory whenever we are properly positioned to do so.”
Blue Bell currently producing the following flavors of ice cream: Buttered Pecan, Cookies ’n Cream, Dutch Chocolate, Homemade Vanilla, Peppermint, Pistachio Almond and The Great Divide. 12-pak Homemade Vanilla Cups and 12-pak Homemade Vanilla and Dutch Chocolate Cups also are available in stores.
Blue Bell recalled all of its products earlier this year due to their potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recall resulted in the essential shutdown of the company’s operations.
