In 1913, Fred H. Wells, Jr. made a $250 investment that would transform America's frozen dessert landscape. Purchasing a horse, a delivery wagon, and some milk cans, he began a small dairy business in Le Mars, Iowa, delivering milk house-to-house seven days a week. What started as a humble local operation grew into something extraordinary when Fred partnered with his brother Harry C. Wells to establish the Wells Ice Cream Company in 1925. Their commitment to quality ingredients quickly made their ice cream a regional favorite, setting the foundation for what would become the largest privately held, family-owned ice cream manufacturer in the United States.
The company's defining moment came in 1935 with a "Name that Ice Cream" contest that birthed the iconic Blue Bunny brand, inspired by a local artist's son who had fallen in love with blue bunnies in a store window. From that creative spark, Wells Enterprises has flourished for over a century, expanding its family of beloved brands to include Halo Top, Bomb Pop, and Blue Ribbon Classics. Today, as an independent operating company of the Ferrero Group, Wells operates state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities that produce more than 150 million gallons of ice cream annually. Yet despite remarkable growth, the company remains true to its founding principles: an unwavering commitment to quality, industry-leading food safety certifications, and a purpose-driven mission to sweeten life and create moments of joy for families across America.
