Wells' Dairy, Inc. was founded in 1913 by Fred H. Wells when he purchased a horse, a delivery wagon, a few cans and jars, and the good will of the business from Ray Bowers, a dairy farmer in Le Mars, Iowa -- all for $250. The original contract granted Fred H. Wells the milk distribution route and also guaranteed a source of raw milk from Mr. Bower's herd of fifteen milk cows.

Around 1925, Fred H. Wells and his sons began manufacturing ice cream in Le Mars, Iowa. As the popularity of their ice cream grew, they quickly branched out and began distributing their frozen confections in Remsen and Alton the following year. In 1927 Fred H. Wells and his brother, Harry C. Wells, began a partnership to distribute ice cream in Sioux City, Iowa, located about 25 miles south of Le Mars. In 1928 Fairmont Ice Cream purchased the ice cream distribution system in Sioux City from the Wells' brothers along with the right to use the Wells' name.

Seven years later, in 1935, the Wells' brothers decided to again sell ice cream in Sioux City. No longer able to use the name "Wells," the brothers decided to run a "Name That Ice Cream" contest in the Sioux City Journal. A Sioux City man won the $25 cash prize for submitting the winning entry, "BLUE BUNNY," after noticing how much his son enjoyed the blue bunnies in a department store window at Easter time.

In the late 1950s, a partnership was formed between the original founder's sons: Harold, Mike, Roy, Fay, and Fred D. Wells, son of Harry C. Wells. Today the Wells family continues its active role in the leadership of the company. From that humble beginning and a "roll up your sleeves" attitude, Wells' Dairy, Inc., is now the world's largest family owned and managed dairy processor. As the world's largest manufacturer of ice cream in one location, Wells' Dairy, Inc., has made Le Mars, Iowa, the "Ice Cream Capital of the World." BLUE BUNNY® branded items are distributed across the nation and in many foreign countries. The company operates two ice cream plants in Le Mars, and an ice cream plant in St. George, Utah. Over 2,500 production, sales, office, and support personnel make up the Wells' Dairy family. With its state-of-the-art production facilities the company is cited by many industry experts as one of the most technically advanced in the industry.

The Wells family feels that they have the facilities, technology, vision, and the people in place to keep the company growing and advance the distribution of the company's products well into the future. This confidence along with their family values and Midwestern roots have served the company well for over 80 years. Wells' Dairy, Inc. is proud to call Le Mars, Iowa home; after all, it is the "Ice Cream Capital of the World."