Wells Enterprises facts for kids
| Private | |
| Founded | 1913 |
| Founder | Fred Wells |
| Headquarters | , |
|
Key people
|
Liam Killeen, CEO |
| Owner | Ferrero SpA |
Wells Enterprises, Inc. is a big American food company. It used to be the largest family-owned ice cream maker in the United States. The company is based in Le Mars, Iowa. They are famous for making Blue Bunny ice cream.
Wells Enterprises is the second largest ice cream maker in the U.S. Unilever is the largest. Wells makes popular brands like Blue Bunny, Halo Top, Bomb Pop, and Blue Ribbon Classics. They also make ice cream for Weight Watchers and The Cheesecake Factory at Home. In 2023, a company called Ferrero SpA bought Wells Enterprises.
Contents
The Story of Wells Enterprises
How It All Started
The company began in 1913. A man named Fred H. Wells Jr. started it. He bought a horse, a wagon, and some milk containers. This cost him $250. He used them to deliver milk in Le Mars, Iowa.
Around 1925, Fred and his sons started making ice cream. They sold it in nearby towns. These towns included Remsen, Alton, and Sioux City.
The Blue Bunny Name
In 1928, another company bought Wells' ice cream delivery system in Sioux City. This meant Wells could not use their own name there. So, in 1935, the Wells family wanted to sell ice cream in Sioux City again. They held a contest to "Name That Ice Cream."
A man from Sioux City won $25. He suggested "Blue Bunny." He had seen how much his son liked the blue bunnies in a store window at Easter. That's how the famous Blue Bunny name began!
Growing the Business
Fred H. Wells Jr. passed away in 1954. His sons and a cousin took over the family business. They built new facilities. In the 1950s, the main ice cream factory, called the North Plant, was built in Le Mars. A Milk Plant was added in 1963.
In 1977, the business officially became "Wells' Dairy, Inc." The family still owned and managed it. The company kept growing in the 1980s. They added new offices and facilities for their delivery trucks. In 1983, Wells bought a plant in Omaha. It was updated to process milk, yogurt, and fruit juice.
Becoming the Ice Cream Capital
The North Plant in Le Mars got much bigger in the mid-1980s. New production lines and a large freezer were added. This helped the company make twice as much ice cream. The expanded plant became huge, covering a whole city block.
In 1991, Wells' Dairy bought the Bomb Pop business. Before this, Bomb Pops were mostly a regional treat. In 1992, Wells started selling ice cream all over the country. They built a massive new plant in Le Mars. It is 900,000 square feet. It also has a 12-story-tall freezer!
This new plant is called the "South Ice Cream Plant." Because Wells has two large ice cream plants in Le Mars, it is the world's largest ice cream maker in one location. This is why Le Mars is known as the "Ice Cream Capital of the World."
In 2003, Wells opened an ice cream plant in St. George, Utah. This helped them serve the West Coast market better. However, in 2014, Wells announced they would close the Utah facility. Mike Wells became the CEO of Wells in November 2007.
In December 2022, Wells Enterprises announced that the Ferrero Group would buy the company. Ferrero is an Italian candy maker. The purchase was completed in 2023.
Blue Bunny Ice Cream
Blue Bunny Ice Cream is a well-known brand. It makes many different ice cream treats.
In 2008, Blue Bunny won an award. They received the "most delicious chocolate ice cream flavor award." This was at a big ice cream conference. That same year, Blue Bunny started the Helmet of Hope Program. They worked with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. This program allowed people to nominate schools or charities. These groups could then receive a $25,000 grant.
Consumer Reports magazine rated Blue Bunny products well in 2013.
Popular Brands
Current Ice Cream Brands
Wells Enterprises makes several popular ice cream brands today:
Product Recalls
Sometimes, companies need to recall their products. This means they ask customers to return items. Recalls happen when there might be a problem with a product. They can be voluntary, meaning the company chooses to do it. Or they can be involuntary, meaning a government agency requires it.
- In July 2025, Wells Enterprises voluntarily recalled about 18,000 containers of ice cream and yogurt. This was done across the United States. The concern was that small plastic particles might be in the products.
