When George Swayngim started Georgeo’s Water Ice in 1980 in Marcus Hook, he started with his own line of the summer favorite, Italian Ice.

As his Italian Ice brand grew, the company grew along with it, becoming a large, regional, direct-store distributor of water ice, leading ice cream and novelty brands, and more.

Growth is a common theme at Georgeo’s Water Ice.

“By 2010, our production needs for our own Italian Ice grew so large that we began outsourcing,” said Swayngim. “But our quality never wavered, and consumers continue to love our own brand while stores in five states depend on us as their distributor.”

In addition to the Marcus Hook facility — which distributes north of Dover, Del., including up to New Hope and Long Beach Island, N.J., and all points in between — Georgeo’s opened a location in Selbyville, Del., to help serve customers south of Dover throughout the Delmarva Peninsula and down to Virginia Beach.

“To fuel that growth, we needed a banking partner willing to work and grow with us,” said Swayngim. “Before WSFS Bank, we had worked with other banks that became too commercialized. With WSFS, we became people again, not just a number.”

Since partnering with WSFS, Swayngim has obtained the funding he needed to double in size as the company continues to experience growth. Now, the business is a true family affair, with Swayngim’s wife joining as the company’s general manager and their two sons running the Marcus Hook and Selbyville locations.

“We’re now the exclusive vendor for the town of Ocean City, Md., and the preferred nutritional snack and ice cream supplier for Delaware schools, hospitals, and similar institutions,” said Swayngim. “We take pride in offering products that fit the nutritional guidelines required for school lunch programs and are experts in healthy and nutritional choices for students, adult community residents, and others.”

Georgeo’s school services have grown to include hundreds of schools in the tri-state area, with school-approved ice cream, water ice, pretzels, and breakfast menu items.

“This kind of growth is achievable when you have a banking partner like WSFS that knows you as a person, knows your business, and knows the area well,” said Swayngim.

As Georgeo’s Water Ice continues to grow its services and products, including stands at special events throughout the region, Swayngim is always keeping an open mind. “We’re always open to adding good products to our distribution lines.”

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Kyle Babcock is an Integrated Communications Strategist at WSFS Bank. He has a decade of experience in product and professional services marketing, communications, and advertising.