Cheesemakers

What Cheesemakers does

Cheesemakers, Inc. is a specialty cheese manufacturer founded in 1997 by James C. Keliehor and headquartered in Cleveland, Texas, with manufacturing operations in Montgomery County, Texas. The company produces authentic Mexican-style cheeses under the Jaimito brand (11 varieties including Queso Fresco, Queso Blanco Panela, Queso Oaxaca, Queso Cotija, Queso Asadero, Queso Quesadilla, Queso Anejo Enchilado, Queso Manchego, Crema Mexicana, and Chorizo) and handmade all-natural goat cheeses under the Lone Star brand (plain, peppercorn, garlic & cilantro, crumbles, and candied jalapeño hatch varieties). Production occurs in a third-party audited SQF/GFSI-certified facility inspected by the FDA and Texas Department of Health. The proprietary Positive Displacement Delivery technology (co-developed with Land O'Lakes, patent pending) underpins the company's cheese curd handling capabilities.

The company operates as a privately held, family-owned business led by founder James C. Keliehor (CEO) with Kate Cawthon (Marketing and Sales Manager) representing the founding family. Revenue is generated via B2B direct sales — quote-based pricing to restaurants, food service operators, and grocery retailers — plus nationwide distribution through DOT Foods (the largest US food redistributor) and a network of food distribution representatives. The marketing motion combines free sample kits, trade show presence (TRA, GO TEXAN), content marketing through recipes and product pages, and customer testimonials. Notable enterprise customers include Tacodeli, Torchy's Tacos (60+ units, expanding to 100+), Truluck's, Chevys Fresh Mex, Whole Foods, Kroger, and Spec's, plus over 100 additional restaurant logos.

The business model is fundamentally a wholesale specialty food manufacturer with no external funding, no public listing, and limited disclosed financials. Cheesemakers operates with 101-250 employees across its headquarters and manufacturing plant and has positioned itself as a SQF-certified alternative to commodity Mexican cheeses for chefs, restaurant chains, and specialty grocers seeking authentic product quality.

Name

Cheesemakers

Legal name

Cheesemakers, Inc.

Website

https://cheesemakers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cheesemakers, Inc. is a Texas-based, family-owned specialty cheese manufacturer producing authentic Mexican-style cheeses (Jaimito brand) and handmade goat cheeses (Lone Star brand) in an SQF-certified facility, selling to restaurants, foodservice chains, and grocery retailers nationwide via DOT Foods distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro primary industry

Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA), Cheese Wholesale (AFAIAEAC)

Keywords

• Specialty cheese manufacturing
• Mexican style cheeses
• Goat cheese production
• Artisan dairy products
• Food service distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cheese and Dairy Product Sales: Direct sales of Mexican style cheeses and goat cheeses to restaurants, grocery stores, and hotels. Products include Jaimito brand Mexican cheeses and Lone Star brand goat cheeses sold in various package sizes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cheesemakers manufactures and distributes authentic Mexican style cheeses under the Jaimito brand and handmade goat cheeses under the Lone Star brand from its SQF-certified Montgomery County, Texas facility. Products are sold primarily to restaurants, gourmet grocery stores, and hotels across the U.S., with nationwide reach enabled by DOT Foods redistribution and direct field sales, leveraging a proprietary cheese curd delivery and forming system developed with Land O'Lakes.

Product overview

Cheesemakers is a specialty cheese manufacturing company offering two main product lines: the Jaimito brand of authentic Mexican style cheeses and the Lone Star brand of fresh goat cheeses. The Jaimito line includes 11 cheese varieties (Queso Fresco, Queso Blanco Panela, Queso Blanco Panela Freir, Queso Quesadilla, Queso Asadero, Queso Oaxaca, Queso Anejo Enchilado, Queso Cotija, Queso Manchego, Domestic Aged Manchego, and Muenster), plus Crema Mexicana and Chorizo. The Lone Star line features 5 goat cheese varieties (Plain, Peppercorn, Garlic & Cilantro, Crumbles, and Candied Jalapeño Hatch). All products are manufactured in an FDA and Texas Dept. of Health inspected SQF-certified facility in Montgomery County, Texas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jaimito: Jaimito Mexican Style Cheeses - authentic Mexican cheeses featuring bold and traditional flavors including Queso Fresco, Queso Blanco Panela, Queso Quesadilla, Queso Asadero, Queso Oaxaca, Queso Anejo Enchilado, Queso Cotija, Queso Manchego, and Crema Mexicana. Named for James' son.
• Lone Star

Products and services

• Queso Fresco Semi-soft, curd-style cheese made from whole cow's milk with a fresh, creamy, slightly salty flavor. Crumbles easily and is used to balance flavor in spicy Mexican dishes such as tacos and enchiladas. Sold to restaurants, grocery stores, and food service operators.
• Queso Blanco Panela Smooth, white, mild cheese from Central Mexico with slight tanginess; curd-style cheese that can be fried or grilled and does not melt, designed for restaurants and home cooking.
• Queso Blanco Panela Freir Smooth, fresh white cheese specially crafted for frying and grilling; holds its shape under high heat, developing a lightly crisp exterior while remaining soft inside, targeted at restaurants needing a non-melting cheese for frying.
• Queso Quesadilla Semi-soft, creamy, mild melting cheese from Sinaloa, Mexico that can substitute for Monterey Jack in most recipes; suited for quesadillas and other melted-cheese applications in food service.
• Queso Asadero Semi-soft, creamy, mild melting cheese from Chihuahua, Mexico prized for how easily it melts; sold to restaurants and grocery stores for melted-cheese applications.
• Queso Oaxaca

Quantifiable outcome

• No preservatives, stabilizers, or artificial ingredients in goat cheese products
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cacique: Cacique is one of the largest U.S. Hispanic dairy producers (founded 1973, Vernon, CA), with a product line that directly overlaps Cheesemakers' Jaimito portfolio — queso fresco, Oaxaca, crema, and other Mexican-style cheeses plus chorizo. Most direct competitor in the same category, customer segments, and retail/foodservice channels.
• Vermont Creamery: Vermont Creamery (Websterville, VT) is a specialty dairy producer of artisan goat cheese, cultured butters, and crème fraîche selling through foodservice, grocery, and direct channels. Comparable positioning as a specialty/artisan dairy brand targeting restaurants and specialty retailers.
• Cypress Grove Cheese: Cypress Grove (Humboldt County, CA) is a well-known U.S. artisan goat cheese maker, comparable in its focus on the specialty goat cheese category and similar foodservice/cheese-monger customer profile to Cheesemakers' Lone Star goat cheese line.
• El Abuelito Foods: El Abuelito is a family-owned Hispanic dairy brand producing queso fresco, Oaxaca, crema, and other Latin American cheeses for U.S. retail and foodservice. Closely comparable in product mix, target customer (Hispanic-leaning CPG and restaurants), and family-owned operating profile.
• V&V Supremo Foods: V&V Supremo (Chicago) manufactures authentic Mexican-style cheeses including queso fresco, Oaxaca, asadero, cotija, and crema — directly mirroring Cheesemakers' core SKU set. Sells through foodservice and grocery channels nationally, putting it head-to-head with Jaimito for the same restaurant and retail accounts.
• Sargento Foods: Sargento is a major U.S. natural cheese manufacturer (sliced, shredded, snacking cheeses) selling to grocery retail and foodservice. While not focused on Mexican-style cheese, it competes broadly for the same restaurant cheese supply budgets and distribution shelf space.
• Rizo Lopez Foods: Rizo Lopez Foods (Gonzales, CA) produces Hispanic-style cheeses, crema, and chorizo for retail and foodservice under the Don Francisco brand. Overlaps Cheesemakers' Mexican-style cheese and chorizo offering and competes for similar independent and regional grocery customers.

Broad incumbents

• Land O'Lakes: Land O'Lakes is a major U.S. dairy cooperative with broad cheese, butter, and ingredient capabilities. Already a historical partner (the 1994 curd-delivery partnership with the founder), it represents both an established large incumbent and a long-standing relationship relevant to Cheesemakers' positioning.
• Saputo: Saputo is one of the largest global dairy processors, operating across cheese (including Hispanic-style brands), fluid milk, and ingredients. A broad incumbent that competes with Cheesemakers in select categories (notably Hispanic-style cheese) and competes for shelf space at retailers like Kroger and Whole Foods.
• Lactalis USA: Lactalis is the world's largest dairy group, with U.S. operations spanning mozzarella, cheddar, ethnic cheese, and cream cheese (Galbani, Président). A broad incumbent in natural and specialty cheese categories touching both retail and foodservice channels where Cheesemakers competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Cheesemakers