HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Come March 25, 2019, Hampton Roads will not only be getting a sweet treat back in the area, but a few sweet jobs may be coming to the area as well.
Blue Bell Ice Cream, which is based out of Texas, is bringing its products back to Hampton Roads shelves and setting up a distribution center in Suffolk to help with the selling of its products in Virginia.
“It has always been our goal to return to Hampton Roads,” said Jimmy Lawhorn, vice president of sales and marketing for Blue Bell. “We are also bringing our products back to Richmond and the surrounding cities. Currently, you can purchase Blue Bell in a small section of western Virginia. In 2019, we will expand our sales area to include the eastern portion of the state. We can’t thank our customers enough
for their patience.”
The distribution center in Suffolk for Blue Bell Creameries is 14,000 sq. ft., according to the company. The distribution center will help serve the cities of Suffolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, Elizabeth City and The Outer Banks community.
“We are grateful for the assistance from the Suffolk Economic Development Authority and the grant we were provided for capital
investment and job creation,” Lawhorn said. “We have started hiring and will continue to do so over the next few months.”
No store locations have been released at this time, but ice cream fans can expect to find Blue Bell at most major supermarkets and drugstores when it returns to the area, said the company.
To find out more information about Blue Bell, click here.
