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Winning cheese wins more business

Winning the title of world champion cheese is good for the bottom line. 

Tim Omer from Emmi Roth Cheese knows that firsthand. He says, “We won the World Championship in 2016. We were the first company in, I think, close to three decades from the United States that actually won it so it was a real big deal for not only our company but for the State of Wisconsin and for all U.S. cheese makers.”

Omer tells Brownfield that 2016 victory not only let the world know who they are, but it had an immediate impact on sales. “From that point on, since that contest, we have more than doubled our total cheese business.”

Omer says that demand meant they needed more cheese. “Since we won the competition, we actually purchased another cheese plant near Green Bay, Wisconsin, so we have manufacturing in Platteville, Wisconsin, Monroe, Wisconsin, and Seymour, Wisconsin.”

Emmi Roth also built a conversion center near Madison in Stoughton, Wisconsin.

Omer says U.S. cheesemakers are getting better and more innovative and the world realizes they are a force to be reckoned with.  He tells Brownfield he believes the U.S. has the competitive advantage with it’s dairy farmers and the best milk globally. “The future is really bright. I know sometimes, it can be tough but we in this country, in the State of Wisconsin but also in the U.S., we are positioned great to grow the business and be successful.”

The World Champion Cheese Contest is held every other year by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association.  Omer says it is the most important contest because it’s by and for the cheesemakers.  This year’s contest was won March 7th by Michael Spycher at Mountain Dairy Fritzenhaus for Gourmino Cheese in Bern, Switzerland.