Blue Bell Creameries, L.P.

Who owns Blue Bell Creameries?

Blue Bell Creameries is a private, family-controlled limited partnership owned by descendants of its founding families, including the Kruse family. It is not publicly traded.

Is Blue Bell publicly traded?

No. Blue Bell Creameries is privately held and does not trade on any exchange.

Where is Blue Bell headquartered?

Brenham, Texas, United States, where the company has been based since its founding in 1907.

What happened with Blue Bell in 2015?

Blue Bell products were linked to a listeria outbreak that caused illnesses and deaths. The company recalled all products, shut down production for months, implemented major food safety reforms, and paid a $17.25 million criminal penalty in 2020.

Where is Blue Bell Ice Cream sold?

Blue Bell sells primarily in the Southern United States, with distribution in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, and other Southern and some Western states.

Who is the CEO of Blue Bell?

Ricky Dickson serves as president and CEO of Blue Bell Creameries, leading the company through its post-recall recovery and continued growth.

Blue Bell traces to 1907 when the Brenham Creamery Company was founded in Brenham, Texas, making butter from excess local cream. It began producing ice cream in 1911 and adopted the Blue Bell name in 1930, named for the Texas bluebell wildflower.

The company grew steadily through the twentieth century, expanding from butter into ice cream full-time and building a distribution network across Texas and neighboring states. Family leadership continued through the Kruse family, with E.F. Kruse and later generations running the company.

The defining crisis came in 2015, when Blue Bell products were linked to a listeria outbreak that caused multiple deaths and illnesses. The company recalled all products, shut down production at all plants for months, implemented sweeping food safety reforms, and spent the following years rebuilding consumer trust and distribution.

Ricky Dickson, a longtime company executive who led the post-recall recovery, became president and CEO, guiding Blue Bell back to its position as the third-largest US ice cream maker. The company completed its phased return to all former markets by 2018 and has since expanded into new flavors and product lines.

Blue Bell maintains food safety and quality commitments as its primary ethical focus following the 2015 listeria crisis, operating under enhanced testing and sanitation protocols developed in cooperation with regulators.

The company supports community programs in its operating regions, particularly in Brenham and rural Texas communities tied to its dairy suppliers. It is not B Corp certified.

The 2015 listeria outbreak remains Blue Bell's defining regulatory and public health event. The outbreak sickened consumers across multiple states and was linked to deaths, forcing the company to recall all products and shut down production at all plants for months. Subsequent investigations revealed years of inadequate sanitation and testing, and the company paid a $17.25 million criminal penalty in 2020, one of the largest food safety penalties in US history.