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Driven by a passion for food, Marvin Schwan started a company tradition of delivering delicious foods right to people’s doorsteps. Still privately owned, we’ve grown from “one-man-and-a-truck” in rural Minnesota to a multibillion-dollar operation with thousands of team members nationwide that make up our home delivery, foodservice and consumer brands business units. Our commitment shows in all we do, from careful ingredient selection to the thriving communities we serve. Our culinary team takes pride in crafting frozen foods for stores, schools, foodservice and home delivery. Schwan`s Home Delivery has service in every state in the continental U.S., and our other business units market brands such as Red Baron®, Tony`s®, Bon Appetit™ and Freschetta® pizzas, Pagoda® Asian-style appetizers, and Mrs. Smith`s® and Edwards® frozen desserts All references throughout this page to The Schwan Food Company with respect to trademarks, employees, logos, manufacturing facilities and products are to the subsidiaries of The Schwan Food Company.
In 1960, a small meat processing operation named Quaker Maid Meats was founded. Since then, this family-owned company has grown to over 100 workers in three production plants. Originally, wafer-thin-sliced beef filets (muscle steaks) were the company’s mainstay. Soon Quaker Maid added breaded veal and beef patties, primarily for the institutional and restaurant markets and began manufacturing a variety of other portion-controlled meat products. In 1968, the company acquired a parcel of land on Carroll Street in Reading, PA, where its main plant is still located. Growth continued with ""Buttered Beef Steaks"" and ""Cubed Beef Steaks,"" along with a solid muscle sandwich steak, hamburger patties and veal steaks. In the early 1970’s, rising beef prices created the need to develop a chopped and formed sandwich steak. This product became the company's largest mainstay growth item and allowed it to compete directly with national brand, Steak-umm®. Because of the sandwich steak's success, the first expansion of the Carroll Street plant also took place during this time. In late 1979, Quaker Maid formulated its version of the fully cooked Italian style meatball (later named Mama Lucia Italian Style Meatballs), adding another item to help customers fill out their orders. The company also designed a continuous meatball-forming, freezing operation that revolutionized the manufacturing process. The meatballs helped expand Quaker Maid’s market share on the Eastern seaboard and into the Chicago market. In 1985, the company purchased another production facility to accommodate the meatball growth. Within two years, additional production capacity was required to support the entire product line. In 1987 the company purchased additional land in Reading in preparation for a new facility. In 1990 ground was broken for a new 4,000-square-foot office building, additional 15,000 square feet of processing area, and 10,000 square feet of freezer and tempering room. In 2005 a third plant was built to again increase capacity, bringing Quaker Maid's total production facility size to over 110,000 square feet. Quaker Maid's product line is continuously updated and currently includes all-beef sandwich steaks and fully cooked meatballs that are quick and easy to prepare, nutritious, and packaged under a variety of brand labels. Distribution spans all the major supermarkets and many large food service establishments throughout the United States and Bermuda. Quaker Maid continually implements the newest technologies available to produce the highest quality products and enhance the plants’ safety and sanitary environment. Our quality assurance department has been certified by the United States Department of Agriculture to participate in their TQC (Total Quality Control) program. Although we are constantly monitored by the USDA, this certification shifts the major responsibility from federal meat inspectors to our own quality assurance staff. Today, Quaker Maid Meats, Inc. remains a family-operated business with an unswerving dedication to quality, value and service. Our goal remains simple: to provide superior portion-controlled frozen meat products, manufactured with the best natural ingredients available, delivered to our customers at a fair and reasonable price.
Vita Food Products Inc. is one of the leading companies in the Manufacturing sector.
Calavo Growers, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the procurement and marketing of fresh avocados and other fresh produce as well as the manufacturing and distribution of prepared avocado products and salsas. With the addition of Renaissance Food Group, we`ve extended our reach in the refrigerated fresh segment with fresh-cut produce and ready-to-cook meal enhancements. Our continued focus on providing healthy, fresh, convenient foods, has enabled Calavo to truly evolve into “A Family of Fresh Foods.” Since 1924, we`ve been serving produce wholesalers, retailers and restaurants worldwide.
From our founding as a 19th Century manufacturing company to our emergence as a 21st Century global leader in medical packing, our legacy has been one of innovative products and a commitment to excellence. Because one size doesn`t fit all, we bring the flexibility to meet the specific demands of each package required. We believe every healthcare product should be protected with the same care that goes into its design and production. We look forward to talking with you about how we can help protect what you have taken such care to produce.