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Wells Enterprises Company Profile

Wells Enterprises, founded in 1913 and now an acquired subsidiary of Ferrero International, is a U.S.-based manufacturer of ice cream and frozen desserts distributing through various retail and foodservice channels, employing 4,000 people, holding 61 patent documents including active plant-based frozen confection patents, and competing with brands like Ben & Jerry's and Dreyer's, with recent merger activity involving Unilever's ice cream plant.

Overview

Wells Enterprises is a manufacturer of ice cream, frozen novelties, and specialty frozen desserts. The company distributes its products through grocery, convenience, and club stores, on mobile vending trucks, and in foodservice settings across the United States.

  • Year Founded: 1913
  • Status: Acquired/Merged (Operating Subsidiary)
  • Employees: 4,000
  • Latest Deal Type: M&A
  • Financing Rounds: 9
  • Investments: 4
  • Ownership Status: Acquired/Merged
  • Financing Status: Corporate Backed or Acquired
  • Parent Company: Ferrero International
  • Primary Industry: Food Products
  • Corporate Office:
    • One Blue Bunny Drive
    • Le Mars, IA 51031
    • United States

General Information

Competitors

Some of Wells Enterprises’s competitors include:

Patents

  • Total Documents (Applications and Grants): 61
  • Total Patent Families: Not specified
  • Granted: 33
  • Pending: 3
  • Expiring in next 12 months: Not specified

Recent Patent Activity

  • WO-2023114805-A1: Plant-based aerated frozen dessert (Inactive, 16-Dec-2021)
  • US-20230180787-A1: Frozen desserts and methods thereof (Inactive, 09-Dec-2021)
  • US-11800879-B2: Plant-based frozen confection (Active, 11-Dec-2018)
  • US-20200178556-A1: Plant-based frozen confection (Active, 11-Dec-2018)
  • US-20190261647-A1: Low-calorie frozen confection (Inactive, 28-Feb-2018, A23G9/327)

Investments & Acquisitions

Wells Enterprises’s most recent deal was a merger/acquisition with Unilever (Ice Cream Plant in Henderson) on 30-Sep-2019.

  • Unilever (Ice Cream Plant in Henderson): 30-Sep-2019, Merger/Acquisition, Food Products
  • Halo Top: 09-Sep-2019, Merger/Acquisition, Food Products
  • Fieldbrook Foods: 15-Apr-2019, Merger/Acquisition, Food Products
  • Wells' Dairy (Omaha yogurt plant): 01-Jan-1982, Corporate Asset Purchase, Buildings and Property

Exits

  • Wells' Dairy (Omaha yogurt plant): 01-Jan-1982, Completed

Affiliates

  • Subsidiary: Halo Top (Manhattan Beach, CA, Founded 2011)

FAQs

When was Wells Enterprises founded?

Wells Enterprises was founded in 1913.

Where is Wells Enterprises headquartered?

Wells Enterprises is headquartered in Le Mars, IA.

What is the size of Wells Enterprises?

Wells Enterprises has 4,000 total employees.

What industry is Wells Enterprises in?

Wells Enterprises’s primary industry is Food Products.

Is Wells Enterprises a private or public company?

Wells Enterprises is a Private company.

What is Wells Enterprises’s current revenue?

The current revenue for Wells Enterprises is not specified.

How much funding has Wells Enterprises raised over time?

Wells Enterprises has raised $860M.

Who are Wells Enterprises’s competitors?

Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Breyers Ice-Cream, Amaretti Desserts, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, and Turkey Hill are some of the 8 competitors of Wells Enterprises.

When was Wells Enterprises acquired?

Wells Enterprises was acquired on 23-Jan-2023.

Who acquired Wells Enterprises?

Wells Enterprises was acquired by Ferrero International.