Dairyfood USA

What Dairyfood USA does

DairyfoodUSA is a private label processed cheese manufacturer headquartered in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, operating in the U.S. cheese industry since the early 1950s. The company produces bulk cheese blocks (5–42 lbs), cheese sticks, deli loaves, cheese dips and spreads, and shelf-stable cheese ingredients, alongside naturally smoked Gouda logs — the latter being a category where the company self-identifies as the largest U.S. producer. Its product portfolio extends into plant-based and vegan cheese alternatives free of lactose, cholesterol, and the big 9 allergens. DairyfoodUSA also provides cut-and-wrap, smoking, and natural cheese conversion services, including kosher and Passover cheese production at its Gilman, Wisconsin facility, with a 700 lb minimum order quantity available to small businesses during off-peak months (October through March).

The company serves B2B customers including co-packers, co-manufacturers, food service providers (restaurants, delis, catering, institutional kitchens), meal kit and snack pack companies, and food distributors. All products support custom labeling and packaging to enable customers' private label branding, with sizes ranging from 0.75 oz portion cups to 42 lb blocks. Sales are conducted via direct phone and email contact, supported by a product catalog website and downloadable sales sheets. Pricing is custom-quoted based on product type, size, and volume rather than publicly listed.

In 2022, DairyfoodUSA was acquired by Gilman Cheese Corporation, becoming a subsidiary while retaining its brand identity and product focus. The acquisition combined DairyfoodUSA's private label and specialty cheese capabilities with Gilman's broader operations, with a cross-reference link from DairyfoodUSA's website directing visitors to Gilman Cheese for additional offerings. The company's shelf-stable cheese technology — capable of storing cheese ingredients at room temperature (36–72°F) for up to six months — has positioned it to serve meal kit and snack pack customers with extended distribution needs. DairyfoodUSA won the 2024 World Cheese Champion award at the World Champion Cheese Contest, providing third-party validation of product quality.

Name

Dairyfood USA

Legal name

DairyfoodUSA

Website

https://dairyfoodusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DairyfoodUSA is a private label processed cheese manufacturer in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, producing bulk cheese blocks, sticks, dips, smoked Gouda logs, shelf-stable cheese, and plant-based alternatives for U.S. co-packers, co-manufacturers, food service operators, and distributors. A subsidiary of Gilman Cheese Corporation since 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty 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

Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI), Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA)

Keywords

• Private label cheese
• Processed cheese manufacturing
• Co-manufacturing services
• Bulk cheese ingredients
• Smoked gouda production

Headquarters

HQ city

Blue Mounds

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Private Label Cheese Manufacturing: DairyfoodUSA produces custom private label processed cheese products for food service and co-manufacturing customers. The company offers cheddar, mozzarella, and Gouda in various flavors and styles, sold under customer brand names with custom labeling and packaging options.
2. Bulk Cheese Products: Sale of bulk cheese blocks, sticks, dips, spreads, and smoked cheese logs in various sizes (5-42 lbs for blocks) to food service businesses and manufacturers.
3. Plant-Based/Vegan Cheese Alternatives: Production of plant-based cheese alternatives free from lactose, cholesterol, and major allergens, including dips, spreads, rounds, and snackable wedges.
4. Custom Processing Services: Cut and wrap services, smoking services, and natural cheese conversion with minimum order quantity of 700 lbs for small businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

DairyfoodUSA is a private label processed cheese manufacturer producing bulk cheese blocks, dips, spreads, cheese sticks, smoked Gouda logs, and plant-based/vegan cheese alternatives for food service providers, co-packers, co-manufacturers, and distributors across the United States. The company offers custom labeling and packaging, cut-and-wrap services for natural cheeses, and smoking capabilities, with a low 700 lb minimum order quantity that enables small business access during off-peak months.

Product overview

DairyfoodUSA is a private label processed cheese manufacturer based in southern Wisconsin, acquired by Gilman Cheese Corporation in 2022, serving co-packers, co-manufacturers, food service providers, and distributors. Its product portfolio is organized around bulk cheese blocks, cheese dips and spreads, smoked Gouda cheese logs, bulk cheese sticks, food service cheeses, and plant-based/vegan cheese alternatives. The company also offers shelf-stable cheese variants, cut-and-wrap services, and smoking services for natural cheeses as specialized add-ons. All products support custom labeling and packaging to enable private label branding by customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bulk Cheese Blocks Bulk processed cheese blocks available in sizes from 5 lb to 42 lb, offered in varieties including Cheddar, Mozzarella, Pepper Jack, Swiss, Queso, Queso EZ Melt, Queso Fundido, Queso para fundir, Queso de Casa, Vintage Cheddar, White Cheddar, and White Cheddar Easy Melt. Designed for food service operations, co-manufacturers, and slicers/dicers/shredders.
• Cheese Dips and Spreads Private label cheese dips and spreads in cup and tub sizes (0.75oz to 32oz), including Jalapeno, Asiago, Pepper Jack, and classic queso varieties. All-natural products made without preservatives or artificial colors, suitable for retail and food service.
• Smoked Gouda Cheese Logs Naturally smoked Gouda cheese logs sold as private label or under DairyfoodUSA's house brand. DairyfoodUSA claims to be the largest producer of smoked Gouda logs in the United States. Available in customizable sizes for deli counters, food service, and co-manufacturing.
• Bulk Cheese Sticks Shelf-stable cheese sticks packaged in 10 lb nitrogen-sealed packages, available in stick sizes from 0.4oz to 1oz. Top requested flavors are Cheddar and Jalapeno; Cheddar sticks contain 98% natural cheese and are a source of calcium and protein. Shelf stable for up to six months at room temperature.
• Food Service Cheeses Bulk cheese blocks, deli cheese loaves, smoked cheeses, cheese shreds, and deli loaves tailored for food service operators. Custom labeling and packaging options are available.
• Plant-Based Vegan Cheeses Plant-based and vegan cheese alternatives free of lactose, cholesterol, and the big 9 allergens. Product line includes Vegan Dips (8oz–32oz), Cream Cheese Style Spreads (Original, Strawberry, Caramelized Onion, Garlic, Blueberry), Cheese Alternative Links/Rounds, and Snackable Cheese Style Wedges in flavors including Smoked Gouda and Smoked Cheddar.
• Cut, Wrap, and Smoking Services for Natural Cheese Natural cheese conversion services including cut-and-wrap of natural cheese blocks into requested sizes and shapes, and smoking of natural cheeses in smoke houses. The Gilman, WI facility can produce kosher and passover cheeses. Minimum order quantity of 700 lbs for small businesses (October through March).

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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gilman Cheese CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022In 2022, DairyfoodUSA was acquired by Gilman Cheese Corporation to expand their cheese manufacturing offering and capabilities. This acquisition combined DairyfoodUSA's private label cheese expertise with Gilman's established operations, making DairyfoodUSA a subsidiary under Gilman Cheese Corporation while maintaining its brand identity and product focus on private label processed cheeses.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gilman Cheese Corporation: Gilman Cheese Corporation is the parent company of DairyfoodUSA since the 2022 acquisition and a Wisconsin-based private label cheese manufacturer. It is the most direct comparable in product, customer base, and operating geography, and is explicitly linked via cross-promotion on the DairyfoodUSA website.
• Great Lakes Cheese: Great Lakes Cheese is a major U.S. private label and co-pack cheese manufacturer serving retail and foodservice channels. It is a direct competitor in natural and processed cheese ingredients, sliced/shredded cheese, and cheese snacks — overlapping with DairyfoodUSA's bulk blocks, deli loaves, and custom private label offerings.
• Sargento Foods: Sargento Foods is a Wisconsin-based natural and processed cheese manufacturer known for sliced and shredded cheese, snack cheese, and foodservice ingredient products. Geographic overlap with DairyfoodUSA (Wisconsin) and product overlap in cheese sticks, shreds, and ingredients make it a strong comparable.
• Crystal Farms: Crystal Farms is a private label cheese brand (Michael Foods family) producing shredded, sliced, and chunk cheese for retail and foodservice. It is a direct competitor in private label cheese and shares customer overlap with retail/foodservice distributors served by DairyfoodUSA.

Broad incumbents

• Schreiber Foods: Schreiber Foods is one of the largest private label dairy producers in the world, including processed and natural cheese. It competes with DairyfoodUSA in private label/ingredients cheese for foodservice and co-manufacturing customers but at significantly greater scale and with a broader product portfolio.
• Leprino Foods: Leprino Foods is the world's largest mozzarella manufacturer and a major supplier to foodservice and pizza chains. It competes with DairyfoodUSA on mozzarella and processed cheese ingredients for foodservice manufacturers, though Leprino operates at vastly greater scale and serves global QSR accounts.
• HP Hood: HP Hood is a large U.S. dairy processor with significant private label and foodservice cheese operations. It competes with DairyfoodUSA in dairy ingredients and processed cheese for foodservice and private label customers, though it is materially larger and more diversified across dairy categories.
• Bel Brands USA: Bel Brands USA produces processed cheese products (e.g., The Laughing Cow, Mini Babybel) and private label portioned cheese. It overlaps with DairyfoodUSA in processed cheese, snacks, and portion-controlled formats targeting retail and foodservice channels.
• Saputo USA: Saputo USA is one of the largest North American cheese and dairy manufacturers, with deep foodservice and private label exposure. Competes with DairyfoodUSA across natural, processed, and specialty cheese for foodservice and co-manufacturing customers at substantially greater scale.

Regional players

• Agrial (Private Label Dairy): Agrial operates private label and branded dairy operations in Europe, including specialty cheese categories. While geographically separate, it is comparable in private label cheese manufacturing capability, custom processing services, and food-service ingredient positioning relevant to DairyfoodUSA's co-manufacturing model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dairyfood-usa-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Dairyfood USA