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.
Better, Bigger, Stronger (1999-today)
In 1999, the company named M. Lenny Pippin as president and chief executive officer of the company, while Alfred Schwan, who was 74 at the time, retained his position as chairman of the board. Lenny would become the company’s fourth president and CEO, following a stint by longtime Schwan employee Ken Noyes.
In 2002, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary of Marvin Schwan’s first ice-cream deliveries to rural customers. And in that same year, the company’s delivery business, Schwan’s Home Service, Inc., launched its first comprehensive Internet site.
The company has gone through many changes in recent years, including a name change. In 2003, the corporation changed its name from Schwan’s Sales Enterprises to The Schwan Food Company.
Schwan continues to grow both in the United States and abroad. The company acquired Edwards® desserts in 2001 and Mrs. Smith’s® desserts in 2003, making the company a leader in the retail frozen-dessert category. The company also opened a state-of-the-art research-and-development center in Marshall, Minnesota.
As the company moves to the future, it strives to become the biggest, best and strongest frozen-food company in the world. As company Chairman Alfred Schwan often says: “The best is yet to come!”
