Blue Bell: back to churning on a shelf near you Aug. 31

BRENHAM, WASHINGTON COUNTY – Blue Bell Creameries will relaunch its product in select markets August 31.

The products will return to stores in 25 Texas counties — including Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Burnet and Llano — on a limited basis.

The company began producing ice cream in late July at its production facility in Sylacauga, Ala.

Additional facilities in Brenham, Texas and Broken Arrow, Okla. are still undergoing facility and production process upgrades similar to those made at the Alabama plant.

Blue Bell said it will re-enter parts of 15 states in five phases. The first phases will include the Brenham, Houston and Austin areas, as well as the Alabama communities near Birmingham and Montgomery.

Next, it will launch in North Central Texas and Southern Oklahoma, followed by Southwest Texas and Central Oklahoma. Phase four includes the majority of Texas and Southern Louisiana.

The final phase will be a complete launch in the states of Texas, Alabama and Oklahoma and distribution in Arkansas, Florida, North Louisiana and Mississippi.

In May, 1,450 employees were laid off and 1,400 more were furloughed.

Out of 900 Blue Bell workers in Brenham, there were 250 layoffs and 300 furloughs.

The company said that as of August 31, Blue Bell will have called back about 380 furloughed employees.