Photo courtesy of Schwan’s In the photos above and below, Schwan’s employees deliver orders to customers. The company is reporting sharp increase in delivery orders since the COVID-19 outbreak started in the U.S.

MARSHALL — The Marshall-based Schwan’s company has seen the demand for its Home Delivery Service of frozen foods continue to rise in recent weeks as more and more people elect to do their grocery shopping from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In meeting the increased demand despite facing a thinly-stretched supply chain, Schwan’s employees have been hard at work fulfilling the needs of customers while also meeting CDC health guidelines during this unprecedented time, according to a company spokesperson.

“It’s just a little more work to make sure that we are fulfilling the customer demand and we’re happy to do it,” said Jennifer Rock, director of Corporate Communications for Schwan’s Home Delivery. “The supply chain throughout the entire country for all grocery stores and food providers is stretched thin at this point. So, we are happy to serve our communities and make sure they’re fed where we can.”

In protecting customers and employees, the company has ramped up its sanitization efforts with swift changes to business operations.

“We normally have conversations and smiles and deliveries to customers at their doors and we don’t anymore. That happens at a safe 6-foot distance,” said Rock. “We no longer enter customers’ homes and we do not have that direct contact with our customers so that we can protect the safety of both our employees and our customers through those interactions.”

The extra safety measures have been implemented at all of its depots as well.

“Every day at every depot around the country, our managers have a check-in process with the employees. They have a symptom checklist that they use to ensure that none of the employees have COVID-19 symptoms. This is a process that’s required in some states now like Michigan for essential service providers and we have proactively now rolled this out to all depots and all locations,” Rock said.”

In light of Gov. Tim Walz’s announcement on Thursday that the state is implementing a “stay at home” order which has since gone into effect to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Schwan’s Home Delivery service will, in all likelihood, continue to see demand for its products increase.

Under Walz’s new order, only essential businesses will remain open and citizens are to remain in their homes with exceptions made for health and safety activities, outdoor activities, obtaining supplies and services, essential interstate travel, care of others, displacement, relocation to ensure safety and tribal activity and lands.

Under the umbrella of food delivery and grocery stores, the Schwan’s Home Delivery Service will remain operational throughout the order which will end on April 11 at 5 p.m.

As communities across the state adapt to the new normal, the Schwan’s company is focused on meeting the challenge of providing quality frozen meals in a safe process for both the customer and employee.

“I think the biggest challenge is a very human one that we are all facing on an individual level which is the desire to do the right thing for our customers and our communities (and) to make sure that our customers can fill their freezers and put a good hot meal on the table for their families tonight. But also balance that with our concern for our own well-being and families right now,” said Rock.

The challenge is one faced by other essential businesses as well.

“I’m sure health care workers are of course feeling that as well where you want to serve the best that you can and we all want to keep our communities fed and our customers healthy,” Rock said. “It’s just like I said, that incredibly human emotion that none of us has dealt with before of wanting to adhere to the safety guidelines and being safe so that we can come home to our families as well.”