Pine River Pre-Pack

What Pine River Pre-Pack does

Pine River Pre-Pack, Inc. is a privately held Wisconsin-based food manufacturer that produces cold-pack cheese spreads, clean-label cheese spreads, and shelf-stable gourmet snack spreads. Founded in 1963 by Philip C. Lindemann and headquartered in Newton, Wisconsin, the company operates from an SQF-certified manufacturing facility (built in 2011) that processes aged Wisconsin Grade A Cheddar into cheese spreads using a proprietary heat-free cold-pack method, supported by in-house Licensed Wisconsin Cheese Graders. The firm produces 23 award-winning traditional cold-pack flavors, 6 clean-label varieties with over one-year shelf life, and a pasteurized shelf-stable snack spread for gift and ambient retail applications.

The company runs a three-pronged business model spanning branded retail products sold through regional and national grocery chains, bulk food-service formats (1.5lb to 30lb), and a substantial B2B co-packing/private-label operation that produces 3.6 million pounds of cold-pack cheese annually across 150 stock and custom blends for 48 retail and dairy partners. Co-packing minimums start at 1,120 pounds per flavor, with customers including Widmer's Cheese Cellars and Decatur Dairy. A "No Label" program supplies unbranded 7-8oz spreads for retailer relabeling, while custom formulation R&D and food-service distribution round out the service portfolio. Distribution is primarily U.S.-focused through regional grocers (Pick n Save, Mariano's, Sendik's, HEB, BJs, Food Lion, Cub Foods), specialty retailers, online channels (Wisconsin Cheese Mart, Pine River Dairy), and food-service wholesalers.

Pine River is family-legacy-rooted (Lindemann family dairy heritage dating to 1870) but transitioned ownership in 2023 from Philip A. and Barth M. Lindemann to four long-tenured partners (Ian R. Behm, Scott M. Caliebe, Cory J. Meyer, and Chauncey N. Behm). The company has no disclosed venture or institutional investment, and claims the most-decorated cheese spread portfolio in the industry with 200+ awards since 1983 across the World Championship Cheese Contest, U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, American Cheese Society, Los Angeles International Dairy Competition, and Wisconsin State Fair competitions.

Name

Pine River Pre-Pack

Legal name

Pine River Pre-Pack, Inc.

Website

https://pineriver.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pine River Pre-Pack is a Wisconsin-based, family-rooted manufacturer of cold-pack cheese spreads, clean-label spreads, and shelf-stable gourmet snacks. It sells branded products to grocery and food-service customers while co-packing 3.6 million pounds annually for 48 private-label partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cheese Spread Manufacturing

NAICS

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

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Processed Cheese & Cheese Spreads Manufacturing (Slices, Loaves, Spreadable) (AFAHABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC), Dairy Spreads, Dips & Cream Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAL), Private Label & Contract Cheese Manufacturing (AFAHABAJ), Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI)

Keywords

• Cold pack cheese spread
• Private label cheese manufacturing
• Cheese co-packing services
• Wisconsin cheese products
• Shelf stable snack spread

Headquarters

HQ city

Newton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Proprietary Brand Product Sales: Sale of Pine River branded cold pack cheese spreads, clean label spreads, and gourmet snack spreads through retail grocery stores, food service operators, and online retailers.
2. Co-Packing and Outsourcing Services: Manufacturing cheese spreads for private label customers and other cheese makers. Pine River co-packs 3.6 million pounds of cold pack cheese annually for 48 retail partners, producing 150 varieties of standard and custom blends. Minimum order 1,120 lbs per flavor.
3. Food Service Bulk Products: Bulk cheese spread products in various sizes (1.5lbs, 2lbs, 5lbs, 30lbs) for restaurant, deli, and food service ingredient use. Stock Sharp Cheddar in 30lb format; other flavors special order.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pine River Pre-Pack manufactures and sells cold pack cheese spreads, clean-label cheddar-based cheese spreads, and shelf-stable pasteurized snack spreads under the Pine River brand. The company also produces private label and co-packed cheese spreads for 48 retail partners, supplying approximately 3.6 million pounds annually across 150 standard and custom blends. Output is sold through grocery retail, online retailers, food service bulk distribution, and direct co-packing contracts from its SQF-certified facility in Newton, Wisconsin.

Product overview

Pine River Pre-Pack is a Wisconsin-based cheese spread manufacturer producing three varieties of cheese spreads: Cold Pack Cheese Spread (traditional, made without heat), Premier All-Natural Cold Pack Cheese Spread (clean label, no artificial ingredients), and Gourmet Shelf Stable Snack Spread (pasteurized for extended shelf life). The company operates an SQF-certified manufacturing facility and offers private label co-packing services, custom formulation R&D, bulk food service products, and a no-label program for retailers. Products are sold in consumer sizes (2.5 to 32 ounce tubs) and institutional portions (5 and 30 pound containers) through retail stores and online retailers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cold Pack Cheese Spread Traditional cold pack cheese spread made without heat by blending cuts of aged Grade A Wisconsin Natural Cheddar with cream and other dairy ingredients until smooth. Available in 23 award-winning flavors including Aged Asiago, Sharp Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Jalapeno, sold in 2.5oz to 32oz tubs for retail consumers.
• Premier All-Natural Cold Pack Cheese Spread Clean label cold pack cheese spread made without preservatives, artificial flavors, artificial colors, or added hormones. Cold pressure treated for extended shelf life over one year, available in six varieties including Italian Truffle and Raspberry Chipotle.
• Gourmet Shelf Stable Snack Spread

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.6 million pounds of cold pack cheese co-packed annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Widmer's Cheese CellarscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-packing partnership where Pine River manufactures Widmer's Aged Brick Cheese into cold pack cheese spread. The collaboration involved Pine River's licensed cheese graders working with Widmer's to ensure desired flavor and consistency. The resulting product won 1st Place in 2017 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.
• Decatur DairycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-packing partnership to create cold pack cheese spread from Decatur Dairy's popular Colby Swiss cheese. Pine River focused on maintaining the natural taste profile of their Colby Swiss in the spread format. Product is carried at Decatur Dairy's store with plans to expand to retail.
• Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA)minorOthersDBIA is a partnership between the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Pine River, as a Wisconsin cheese company, operates within this ecosystem supporting dairy innovation in the Upper Midwest.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sargento Foods: Wisconsin-based cheese manufacturer producing natural and processed cheeses, cheese snacks, and related dairy products. Highly comparable as a Wisconsin-headquartered specialty cheese CPG with strong retail presence and private-label capability.
• Schreiber Foods: Major privately held dairy manufacturer and one of the largest private-label dairy producers in the world, including cream cheese and cheese spreads. Directly comparable on co-packing/private-label model and dairy processing scale.
• Alouette Cheese (Saputo): Premium branded cream cheese spreads and soft cheeses owned by Saputo. Comparable as a category-leading brand in the cheese-spread segment of the dairy aisle and a strong direct competitor.
• Bel Brands USA (The Laughing Cow): Manufacturer of branded processed and spreadable cheeses including The Laughing Cow and Babybel. Direct competitor in cheese-spread retail shelf and similar product format.
• Agropur USA: Cooperative-owned dairy manufacturer operating large-scale cheese and dairy ingredient processing facilities, including private-label and contract manufacturing. Comparable as a contract/private-label cheese and dairy product manufacturer serving retail and foodservice.

Broad incumbents

• Tillamook County Creamery Association: Farmer-owned premium dairy brand producing cheddar, cheese spreads, and other dairy products. Comparable as an award-winning specialty cheese brand pursuing premium positioning, though at substantially larger scale.
• HP Hood: Privately held dairy processor producing cheese, cultured products, and dairy ingredients under multiple brands and via private-label agreements. Comparable as a diversified dairy manufacturer with contract/private-label capabilities.
• Land O'Lakes Dairy Foods: Major farmer-owned dairy cooperative with national branded and foodservice cheese and butter products. Adjacent as a larger, broadly diversified dairy incumbent with overlapping cheese/spread offerings and a co-manufacturing footprint.

Emerging players

• Decatur Dairy: Wisconsin cheese maker that co-packs its Colby Swiss Cold Pack spread with Pine River. Comparable as a smaller Wisconsin cheesemaker using Pine River's co-packing platform to extend into the cheese-spread format.
• Widmer's Cheese Cellars: Wisconsin brick cheese producer that partnered with Pine River to co-pack its Aged Brick Cold Pack Cheese Spread. Comparable as a smaller Wisconsin specialty cheesemaker leveraging Pine River's spread-manufacturing capability.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PRCheeseSpread
• Facebookfacebook.com/PineRiverPrePack
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pine-river-pre-pack-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/pinerivercheesespread
• Pinterestpinterest.com/pinerivercheesespread

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Pine River Pre-Pack