Schwan Food Company

The Schwan Food Company is one in Marshall, Minnesota ( USA) -based company that specializes in frozen foods. It is the world's largest producer of frozen pizza, frozen spring rolls and frozen desserts. The Schwan Food Company is active in over 25 countries and employs more than 24,000 people.

Company History

The young Paul Swan 1921 left his native Berlin to seek his fortune in the United States. This he found in the small town of Marshall in Minnesota. He met his wife Alma know that his three sons (Alfred, Bob and Marvin ) gave birth. Here he applied also to U.S. citizenship.

In 1941, Paul Swan acquired his first shares in a Eiskremfabrik and in 1948 founded his own dairy. A few years later, the economic situation of the company was rather poor, since state regulations limited the opportunities for profit.

The 23 -year-old Marvin Schwan but found out that north of Marshall for ice cream, higher prices could be achieved. With this realization, he loaded a van and drove to that area from farm to farm. A great success and the beginning of Swan 's "Home Delivery Service ".

The pizza history of the company Schwan's began in 1970 with an advertisement in the " Wall Street Journal". Marvin Schwan was looking for a factory for pizza. Only five years later, the production of the successful brand "Red Baron" began, others followed over the years. Freschetta, the youngest brand in 1996 revolutionized the market as the first non- pre-baked frozen pizza.

In 1991, Schwan's, then ventured the step across the Atlantic and opened its first office in Europe. In the English Leyland since the brand Chicago Town and Tony's are produced. A work in Mezidon, France, followed in 1996.

Since 1998, in Osterweddingen near Magdeburg the German offshoot named Schwan's Food GmbH. At this location, the premium brand Freschetta pizza, Chicago Town and Tony's are produced.

In December 2008, the European arm of the company, and thus pizza brands like Freschetta and Chicago Town was sold to the Oetker Group.