Despite its bucolic trademark of a barefoot country girl leading a milk cow, ice-cream maker Blue Bell Creameries means big business. Although Blue Bell is still a regional brand (with distribution in only 14 states in the southern US), it is the #3 ice-cream brand in the country (after Breyers and Dreyer's). In addition to ice cream, the company sells yogurt, frozen treats, and sherbet. Blue Bell is slowly expanding from its strong regional base surrounding Texas, but retains total control over production and distribution. CEO Howard Kruse and his family maintain control of the creamery, which was started in an abandoned cotton gin in 1907.