Following last spring's Listeria scare, which prompted over a dozen people sick with the bacteria and even a couple of deaths, the biggest focus of the outbreak, Blue Bell Creameries, has been slowly reopening its facilities and relaunching its products after months of absence - now, their biggest plant, the Blue Bell Texas one in their Brenham HQ, has finally reopened.
Blue Bell's Texas plant, the biggest in the ice cream company, was also the one that had to go through the biggest overhaul following last spring's outbreak, as it was also the oldest of their plants, so it required a bigger investment - besides, now, over 70 employees at the facility will begin working once more after months of furlough.
According to Chron.com, no laid off employees have been called back to the Blue Bell Texas plant as it begins to function once more, but the economy boost for the small city of Brenham is quite considerable as the facility's one of the biggest plants there.
Also, Brenham marks the same spot as the company's HQ, so it's a huge moral victory as well after the company had to halt production in all their plants for months, as it fixed food safety issues.
As Reuters reports, the Blue Bell Texas facility marks the third plant that resumes business in the past few months, following smaller Alabama and Oklahoma resumed operations, as Blue Bell Creameries phases into its regular production and distribution over the course of weeks.
"We are excited to announce that Blue Bell Ice Cream is once again being made at our main production plant in Brenham," said Greg Bridges, the company's VP of operations in a statement through The Eagle, about reopening Blue Bell's Texas plant. "Over the past several months, we have been preparing our facility for this day. We are very thankful for the patience and support our customers have shown Blue Bell."
