Our History
On Tuesday, March 18, 1952, a 23-year-old Marvin Schwan packed his beat-up 1946 Dodge panel van with 14 gallons of his family’s signature ice cream and delivered it to rural families in western Minnesota. At the end of that historic trip, all 14 gallons were sold and the Schwan home-delivery business was born.
Today, The Schwan Food Company is a multi-billion-dollar private company with 22,000 employees worldwide. Based out of Marshall, Minnesota, the company sells fine frozen foods on its traditional delivery trucks, in grocery store freezers, online and in the foodservice industry.
The First Ride (1952-1954)
On Tuesday, March 18, 1952, a 23-year-old Marvin Schwan packed his beat-up 1946 Dodge panel van with 14 gallons of his family’s signature ice cream and delivered it to rural families in western Minnesota. At the end of that historic trip, all 14 gallons were sold and the Schwan home-delivery business was born.
The first Schwan home-delivery route ran from the Schwan family dairy in Marshall, Minnesota, 30 miles north to Montevideo, Minnesota, where ice cream could be sold for more money due to government pricing regulations in the 1950s.
Driving back from Montevideo after his first delivery, Marvin thought about his new business venture and was excited by its success. Farm customers were eager to buy ice cream, and they appreciated the service. The delivery saved farmers a trip to town and eliminated the problem of getting the product home from the store before it melted.
By the spring of 1953, Marvin had more customers on his delivery routes than he could handle with an old panel truck packed with dry ice. He bought his first refrigerated vehicle and had an artist paint it a creamy yellow with a new logo. At this time, he was selling 120 gallons of ice cream per day and began planning for future expansion. He hired his first route manager that year.
