Guggisberg Cheese acquires Deutsch Kase Haus
MILLERSBURG, OHIO —Guggisberg Cheese, Millersburg, Ohio, has purchased Deutsch Kase Haus, Middlebury, Indiana, from Trega Foods Ltd., a subsidiary of Canadian dairy cooperative Agropur.
Deutsch Kase Haus is one of the country’s premier manufacturers of Colby, Marble, Yogurt, and other stirred-curd cheeses. The product lines are a natural fit for Guggisberg Cheese’s growth strategy, says Richard Guggisberg, president of Guggisberg Cheese. Guggisberg Cheese, which is known as the home of the Original Baby Swiss, is one of the largest manufactures of Baby Swiss and Swiss cheese in the country. Guggisberg says he is excited about the opportunities the acquisition will provide for the company to expand their presence in the marketplace. They will continue to focus on their proven growth formula of producing premium-quality cheeses at a competitive price.
For the time being, the Middlebury plant, located in the center of Indiana’s Amish country, will continue to operate under the Deutsch Kase Haus name. The plant employs approximately 50 workers, most of whom are expected to stay with the company. The state of the art facility is highly automated and well suited for producing consistently high quality cheese. Positioned for growth well into the future, the factory has the current capacity to produce nearly 20 million pounds of cheese annually. Guggisberg’s plans for the newly acquired plant include increases in production as well as eventual expansion of the plant and retail store.
Agropur, also busy in their efforts to expand, made two major acquisitions in the Upper Midwest in the last 12 months. Last January, they purchased Trega Foods and its three Wisconsin cheese-making facilities. Then, in December, Agropur acquired Schroeder Milk, a milk processing company located in Maplewood, Minnesota. According to Bernard Gagnon, vice president of U.S. sales for Agropur, the decision to sell Deutsch Kase Haus was a difficult one. Many companies inquired about purchasing the business, but when Guggisberg Cheese expressed interest, Agropur knew that they had found a buyer they could rely on to uphold the quality and integrity of the plant for years to come.
