With Name Change On The Way, Schwan’s Closes North Dakota Depot.

Schwan's Home Delivery will end beginning Friday June 3rd

Many Jamestown residents received a text from their regular delivery driver alerting them that their local delivery service was being eliminated. That driver had worked his route for 29 years. A Schwan's representative released this statement.

“The decision to close the Jamestown depot on June 3rd was not made lightly,” stated Jennifer Rock, Director of Communications and Public Relations for Schwan’s Home Delivery.

“We have loved being a part of this community and are grateful for the work of our Jamestown team. However, despite our best efforts, this depot was no longer viable for our business.”

It seems several other depots across the country have closed for similar reasons.  Sad news for Jamestown customers. Perhaps Schwan's is streamlining for changes coming in the fall of 2022. This year, Schwan's Home Delivery is facing the most monumental change in the company's long history-

Soon they will be Schwan's no more.

Schwan's company started in Marshall, Minnesota way back in 1952. Delivering the Schwan family's signature ice cream to happy masses all around Minnesota. Things changed mightily over the years as demand for their frozen goods continued to grow.

By 1962 Schwan's added fish to their delivery routes because y'know Minnesota.

These days Schwan's Company is doing billions in business with over 7,500 employees to serve millions across the Midwest.

Millions including myself.

I didn't grow up in a Schwan's family.  It probably took those yellowish trucks a while to penetrate the Minot market from Marshall Minnesota. Plus, it was always a little on the spendy side when compared to a carton of Neopolitan from the Piggly Wiggly.

A few years back the Schwan's truck drove past my house and I ran it down.

True story, me and my girl Brenda hopped in the car and intercepted the truck a few blocks away.  That began a great relationship and discovery of a few frozen grocery staples that are the perfect fallback when I'm too darn lazy to cook.

So here's the truck loading up my stuff at the warehouse.

You can count on them loading up french toast sticks, the turkey dinner, chicken chili, individual pot roasts, and occasionally restocking our ice cream treats.  Is it still kinda spendy? Yup, but really good and convenient.

The Schwan's Company weathered the pandemic pretty well.

Not sure of the actual bottom line, but our Schwan's man said that with groceries shelves being emptied, people were running him down like he was a food truck. Which it sorta is.  So I've developed a rapport with my Schwan's rep and he'll remind us via text when he's going to be in the neighborhood and wondering if we needed anything. Which is easy to order on the app!

So I was shocked when I heard Schwan's was going away.

This bombshell can now be found on Schwan's Home Delivery Facebook page

Here's the Schwan's Home Delivery Facebook promo for their switch to Yelloh.

Well, that's just odd.  Here's the obligatory press release.

Say hello to Yelloh™!

Again let me repeat it's a odd name that throws away 70 years of heritage. But I get it, younger consumers could give two shakes about the history behind how that Crumble Crunch Apple Blossom got in their oven.  I can only trust that with billions of dollars on the line, master marketers suggested it was time for a more modern makeover to catch the eye of younger consumers.  I mean it even has an exclamation point!

So just don't take away my favorites and I'll be fine with the rebranding.

Super interesting video from the Recollection Road YouTube Channel of how it all started in Marshall, Minnesota.  A truly fine example of how to build an empire.