Baker Cheese
Baker Cheese is a Wisconsin-based cheese manufacturer specializing in natural and flavored string cheese, operating as a subsidiary of Sargento Foods Inc. and selling direct-to-consumer through the Francis Baker Cheese Store while leveraging the parent's distribution.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1937
- HeadquartersSaint Cloud, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Baker Cheese does
Baker Cheese is a U.S.-based cheese manufacturer specializing in natural string cheese products, operating as a subsidiary of Sargento Foods Inc. The company was founded in 1937 by Frank and Margerite Baker, who are credited with pioneering string cheese in the United States, and the brand has since been integrated into Sargento's broader cheese portfolio. It operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Plymouth, Wisconsin (One Persnickety Place, Plymouth, WI 53073), sourcing milk from local Wisconsin dairy farmers and producing string cheese on a rapid farm-to-package production cycle.
Baker Cheese's product portfolio consists of two core lines: Fresh String Cheese and Flavored String Cheese. Both lines have received industry trade awards — Best String Cheese in the U.S. and Best Flavored String Cheese in the World, respectively. Its revenue model combines direct-to-consumer retail through the Francis Baker Cheese Store (a single physical storefront) with integration into Sargento's broader distribution and corporate infrastructure. Marketing is conducted through Sargento's branded social media accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram. The company is privately held, has 251–500 employees, and does not publicly disclose pricing or revenue. Note: firmographic metadata conflicts with primary records on founding year (1916 vs 1937), location (St. Cloud vs Plymouth, WI), and ownership (independently family-owned vs Sargento subsidiary); primary detailed records and website content are treated as authoritative.
Baker Cheese firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Baker Cheese
- Legal name
- Sargento Foods Inc.
- Website
- https://bakercheese.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1937
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Baker Cheese is a Wisconsin-based cheese manufacturer specializing in natural and flavored string cheese, operating as a subsidiary of Sargento Foods Inc. and selling direct-to-consumer through the Francis Baker Cheese Store while leveraging the parent's distribution.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Baker Cheese industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Natural String Cheese
- NAICS
- Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC), Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA), Grated, Shredded & Sliced Cheese Manufacturing (Value-Added Cuts) (AFAHABAF)
Keywords
Where Baker Cheese is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Cloud
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Baker Cheese business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Baker Cheese product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Baker Cheese manufactures and sells award-winning natural string cheese products, including Fresh String Cheese and Flavored String Cheese. The company sources quality milk from local Wisconsin farmers and processes it at a state-of-the-art factory in Plymouth, WI, with a rapid farm-to-finished-product time frame. Its direct-to-consumer retail arm, the Francis Baker Cheese Store, markets these products to individual buyers.
Product overview
Baker Cheese is a cheese manufacturer specializing in string cheese products. The company offers two main product lines: Fresh String Cheese and Flavored String Cheese, both of which have won awards (Best String Cheese in the U.S. and Best Flavored String Cheese in the World). The company sources quality milk from local farmers and produces its natural string cheese at a state-of-the-art factory, emphasizing a short time frame from farm to finished product. Baker Cheese is operated by Sargento Foods Inc. and includes the Francis Baker Cheese Store as its retail presence.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fresh String Cheese
Companies that use Baker Cheese
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Baker Cheese technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Baker Cheese partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Baker Cheese competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sargento Foods Inc. Direct parent of Baker Cheese and a major U.S. cheese manufacturer with a broad portfolio of cheese snacks, slices, shreds, and string cheese — including products marketed under the Baker Cheese brand. This is the closest comparable by ownership and product line overlap.
- Saputo Inc. Large multinational dairy manufacturer operating across cheese, fluid milk, and dairy ingredients. Comparable in scale and product breadth as a cheese CPG incumbent in the U.S.
- Bel Brands USA: U.S. subsidiary of Fromageries Bel, manufacturer of snack cheeses (The Laughing Cow) and other cheese products. Comparable as a vertically integrated snack-focused cheese CPG company.
- Schreiber Foods: Privately held, employee-owned dairy/food manufacturer producing cream cheese, natural cheese, and dairy ingredients. Comparable as a privately held mid- to large-scale cheese manufacturer with similar B2B and ingredient focus.
- Hilmar Cheese Company: Privately held, family-owned cheese and whey ingredients manufacturer with operations in California and Texas. Comparable as a privately held mid-to-large scale cheese processor serving both consumer and ingredient channels.
- Kraft Heinz: Large packaged food CPG incumbent with multiple cheese brands (Kraft Singles, Cracker Barrel, Polly-O). Comparable in U.S. cheese CPG distribution and competitive pressure on string cheese category.
Direct peers
- Polly-O: Long-standing U.S. string cheese and mozzarella brand owned by Lactalis. Competes head-to-head with Baker Cheese in the fresh string cheese category across retail channels.
- Galbani: Lactalis-owned Italian-style cheese brand with a strong presence in string cheese and mozzarella in the U.S. market. Direct competitor on flavored and traditional string cheese SKUs.
Emerging players
- Tillamook County Creamery Association: Farmer-owned dairy cooperative with premium positioning across cheese, ice cream, and yogurt. Comparable as a heritage/premium cheese brand leveraging story-based marketing and a co-op supply chain model.
Regional players
- Organic Valley: Farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative with a Wisconsin base and a portfolio including cheese. Comparable in terms of farmer-supply model and Wisconsin/U.S. Midwest heritage positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Baker Cheese social profiles
Digital presenceBaker Cheese financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Baker Cheese leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Baker Cheese funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Baker Cheese M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Baker Cheese
What does Baker Cheese do?
Baker Cheese manufactures and sells award-winning natural string cheese products, including Fresh String Cheese and Flavored String Cheese. The company sources quality milk from local Wisconsin farmers and processes it at a state-of-the-art factory in Plymouth, WI, with a rapid farm-to-finished-product time frame. Its direct-to-consumer retail arm, the Francis Baker Cheese Store, markets these products to individual buyers.
Is Baker Cheese a public or private company?
Baker Cheese is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Baker Cheese founded?
Baker Cheese was founded in 1937. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Baker Cheese based?
Baker Cheese is headquartered in Saint Cloud, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Baker Cheese's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sargento Foods Inc., Saputo Inc., Bel Brands USA, Schreiber Foods, Hilmar Cheese Company and Kraft Heinz. Direct peers are Polly-O and Galbani. Tillamook County Creamery Association is listed as an emerging player. Organic Valley is listed as a regional player.
Does Baker Cheese have an API?
No public API is recorded for Baker Cheese.
What industry is Baker Cheese in?
Baker Cheese's product category is Natural String Cheese. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAKAB, Cheese Manufacturing, with a secondary code of CRADACAC, Cheese (Natural & Processed). Its NAICS code is 311513 and its SIC code is 2020.