United Group Insurance

53 Iowa employees of Yelloh (formerly known as Schwans) will lose their jobs as the company ceases operations in November

News

September 25th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Marshall, MN) – Officials with Yelloh, this week, announced the company will cease all operations in November 2024, closing out a storied 72-year history as a Minnesota pioneer in the food home-delivery market. Founded as Schwan’s in Marshall, Minnesota, in 1952, the company expanded to serve people nationwide, delivering frozen meals, food, treats and ice cream to homes. The company has about 1,100 employees and according to Iowa WARN, 53 employees in Iowa are being laid off.

Yelloh CEO Bernardo Santana said in a news release, “It’s with heavy hearts that we made the difficult decision to cease operations of Yelloh. We are thankful to our many loyal customers and hard-working employees for everything they have done to support us. I am deeply grateful for our employees’ tireless and bold efforts, and our customers’ dedication. It has been our utmost pleasure and honor to serve our customers their favorite meals and frozen treats.”

The company cited multiple insurmountable business challenges for the decision, including economic and market forces, as well as changing consumer lifestyles. Yelloh will wind down operations over the next two months, taking care of employees with notice and pay in accordance with the WARN Act. The last day products may be purchased via Yelloh trucks will be Friday, November 8.