Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery

What Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery does

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is a Wisconsin-based dairy cooperative founded around 1910 (115th Annual Meeting held in 2025), owned by 180+ patron family dairy farms that supply its milk. Operating from facilities in Ellsworth (headquarters and retail), Menomonie (retail with cheesemaking viewing window), New London (production), and historically Comstock, the company produces more than 80 cheese varieties — anchored by 180,000 lbs of fresh cheese curds made daily — under its core Ellsworth brand plus sub-brands Antonella (artisan pressed-curd) and 1885 Ellsworth Reserve (4-year aged cheddar). Its registered trademark "Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin®" and a sustained award cadence at the National Milk Producers Federation (2019, 2022, 2025) and American Cheese Society (2024) competitions position it as a category authority in curds and Muenster.

The company runs a three-channel go-to-market: (1) direct-to-consumer via ellsworthcheese.com e-commerce with nationwide UPS cold-chain shipping ($10 packaging fee) plus two walk-in retail stores open seven days a week; (2) foodservice and industrial sales via a dedicated website (foodservice.ellsworthcheese.com) and a structured sales team led by Director-level leadership, selling bulk SKUs in 25lb/40lb boxes, 5lb bags, frozen battered curds, and pasteurized process cheese; and (3) retail/grocery accounts, including a Holiday Stationstores convenience-retail partnership that produced a co-developed Cheese Curd Pretzel Melt SKU and nationwide distribution including Alaska. Unit pricing on retail SKUs ranges from $2.44 (Monterey Jack 7.5oz) to $7.49 (premium flavored 15.5oz blocks and 1885 Reserve 8oz), with gift-box collections priced $25–$200 (Happy Holstein to Reserve Grand Champion) and bulk foodservice 10lb packs at $49.50–$89.00.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed; headcount of 251–500 employees and multi-channel scale support a low-confidence estimate in the $100M–$250M band. No external parent company, funding rounds, or M&A activity are disclosed, and the company holds no patents and discloses no AI/ML, API, or integration surface — its competitive basis is traditional Wisconsin cheesemaking craft, cooperative member-farmer supply, brand recognition, and a diversified channel mix rather than technology differentiation.

Name

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery

Legal name

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery

Website

https://ellsworthcheese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is a Wisconsin dairy cooperative, founded ~1910 and owned by 180+ patron family farms, producing 80+ cheese varieties including 180,000 lbs of fresh curds daily. It sells through D2C e-commerce, two retail stores, a foodservice division, and grocery accounts including Holiday Stationstores.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA), Grated, Shredded & Sliced Cheese Manufacturing (Value-Added Cuts) (AFAHABAF), Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI), Cheese Powder, Sauce & Flavor Systems Manufacturing (AFAHABAE)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese manufacturing
• Fresh cheese curds
• Dairy cooperative products
• Foodservice cheese supply
• Wisconsin aged cheddar

Headquarters

HQ city

Ellsworth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Cheese Product Sales: Sale of cheese curds, block cheeses, artisan cheeses, and frozen battered cheese curds directly to consumers through e-commerce and retail stores. One-time purchase model with per-unit pricing.
2. Foodservice & Industrial Sales: Bulk sales of cheese products to restaurants, foodservice providers, and industrial customers. Products sold in bulk quantities including 25lb & 40lb boxes, 5lb bags, and 1lb bags.
3. Gift Box Sales: Premium gift box collections ranging from $25 to $200, featuring curated selections of cheeses and local specialty food items. Includes custom gift box options.
4. Retail Store Sales: In-person sales at two Wisconsin retail locations (Ellsworth and Menomonie) offering full product selection including fresh daily curds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery manufactures and sells a broad portfolio of Wisconsin cheeses, including fresh daily cheese curds (180,000 lbs/day), 80+ varieties of block and artisan cheeses, the Antonella pressed-curd line, 1885 Ellsworth Reserve aged cheddar, frozen battered cheese curds, and pasteurized process cheese. The cooperative sources milk from 180+ patron family dairy farms and distributes through its own e-commerce site, two Wisconsin retail stores, a foodservice division, and retail/grocery accounts.

Product overview

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is a Wisconsin-based dairy cooperative offering a diverse portfolio of cheese products. The core offerings include fresh cheese curds (their signature product, producing 180,000 lbs daily), premium block cheeses in multiple varieties and flavors, natural artisan cheeses under the Antonella sub-brand, frozen battered cheese curds, pasteurized process cheeses, and curated gift box collections. The company also produces specialty items like 1885 Ellsworth Reserve aged cheddar and dippable cheese spreads. Products are sold through retail locations, online e-commerce, and foodservice/industrial channels. The cooperative sources milk from 180+ patron family dairy farms and operates facilities in Ellsworth, Menomonie, and New London, Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Antonella: Half-moon artisan cheeses, also known as pressed curd, semi-soft cheeses made with cow's milk, infused with natural ingredients and hand-rolled in spices.
• 1885 Ellsworth Reserve

Products and services

• Fresh Cheese Curds
• Premium Block Cheese
• Antonella Artisan Cheese Line
• Frozen Battered Cheese Curds
• Pasteurized Process Cheese
• 1885 Ellsworth Reserve 4-Year Aged Cheddar
• Gift Box Collections
• Dippable Cheese Spread
• Horn Cheeses

Quantifiable outcome

• 180,000 lbs of fresh cheese curds produced daily
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Holiday StationstorescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 March 2021Partnership with Holiday Stationstores for distribution of Ellsworth cheese products nationwide, including Alaska. Collaboration included unique product development - the Cheese Curd Pretzel Melt available at Holiday Stationstores as a limited time offering.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Babcock Hall Dairy: Babcock Hall Dairy is the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus dairy producing cheese, ice cream, and milk in Wisconsin. Comparable as a Wisconsin-based, heritage-driven cheese producer operating in retail and specialty channels, though at a much smaller scale.
• Hilmar Cheese: Hilmar Cheese is a California-based, farmer-owned cheese manufacturer producing cheddar, Monterey Jack, and dairy ingredients at industrial scale. Comparable as a farmer-owned cooperative-style cheese manufacturer, though operating primarily on the West Coast and in ingredient channels rather than consumer-facing artisan.

Broad incumbents

• Sargento Foods: Sargento Foods is a Plymouth, Wisconsin-based, family-owned cheese manufacturer and a leading U.S. brand in sliced, shredded, and snack cheese. Comparable as a larger Wisconsin-headquartered incumbent with overlapping cheese categories and broad retail distribution.
• Land O'Lakes: Land O'Lakes is a large U.S. dairy and agricultural cooperative with significant cheese manufacturing operations. Comparable as a fellow farmer-owned cooperative operating in dairy product manufacturing and competing for foodservice and retail dairy customers.
• Schreiber Foods: Schreiber Foods is a Green Bay, Wisconsin-based multinational dairy processor producing cheese, cream cheese, and yogurt for retail and foodservice customers. Comparable as a much larger Wisconsin dairy incumbent with overlapping cheese manufacturing and foodservice customers.
• Dairy Farmers of America: Dairy Farmers of America is a large U.S. dairy farmer-owned cooperative with substantial cheese and ingredient manufacturing operations. Comparable as a much larger peer cooperative operating across cheese manufacturing, foodservice, and ingredient channels.

Direct peers

• Roth Cheese: Roth Cheese (Emmi Roth) is a Monroe, Wisconsin-based specialty cheese producer focused on alpine-style and aged cheeses. Comparable as a Wisconsin-headquartered artisan cheese maker serving retail, foodservice, and gift/specialty channels.
• BelGioioso Cheese: BelGioioso Cheese is a Green Bay, Wisconsin-based specialty cheese manufacturer producing Italian-style and American artisan cheeses. It directly competes with Ellsworth in retail deli, foodservice, and e-commerce cheese categories with a similar premium, Wisconsin-made positioning.
• Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese: Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese is a Waterloo, Wisconsin-based farmstead cheese producer making artisan Italian-style cheeses from on-farm milk. Comparable as a Wisconsin farmstead/cooperative-style artisan cheese maker serving retail and foodservice customers.
• Sartori Cheese: Sartori Cheese is a Plymouth, Wisconsin-based specialty cheese producer making artisan and aged cheeses. It is a direct peer given overlapping geography, similar artisan/cheddar portfolio, and presence across retail, foodservice, and gifting channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CheeseCurdsWI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CheeseCurdsWI?feature=mhee
• Facebookfacebook.com/EllsworthCheese
• Instagraminstagram.com/ellsworthcreamery
• Pinterestpinterest.com/ellsworthcheese

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery