Country Ovens

What Country Ovens does

Country Ovens, LTD. is a privately held, family-owned food products company founded in 1987 by Mike and Kathy Johnson in Door County, Wisconsin. The company specializes in dried Montmorency tart cherries and a broad portfolio of cherry-based products sold under the Cherry De-Lite brand, including chocolate-covered cherries, 100% tart cherry juice, cherry preserves, sauces, salsas, spice rubs, and curated seasonal gift boxes. Core processing technology is dehydration and preservation of Grade A fancy Montmorency cherries sourced from Sister Bay, Wisconsin, with all production and packaging conducted at the company's facility in Forestville, WI. The product line has expanded to include Blueberry De-Lite and Cranberry De-Lite sub-brands, extending the dried fruit platform beyond cherries.

The company operates a multi-channel go-to-market model: a factory retail store at 229 E Main St, Forestville, WI with outlet pricing; direct-to-consumer e-commerce via countryovens.com; and wholesale distribution to regional grocery chains (Festival Foods, Woodmans, Piggly Wiggly, Hyvee) across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois, plus Door County tourism outlets including gift shops and roadside stands. Unit pricing ranges from $2.75 (2 oz dried cherries) to $134 (5 lb dried cherries), with gift boxes priced $22.95–$110.00. Targeted customer segments include health-conscious consumers seeking tart cherry's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, Door County tourists purchasing regional specialty products and gifts, and wholesale retail partners. The company is privately held by the Johnson family with no external investment, no subsidiaries, and no public reporting.

Name

Country Ovens

Legal name

Country Ovens, LTD.

Website

https://countryovens.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Country Ovens is a family-owned Door County, Wisconsin food producer founded in 1987, specializing in Montmorency tart cherry products under the Cherry De-Lite brand. It sells dried cherries, juices, sauces, and gift boxes via factory retail, e-commerce, and wholesale to Upper Midwest grocery chains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dried Fruit Products

NAICS

Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Canned, Fruits, Veg, Preserves, Jams & Jellies (2033), Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Spreads, Sweeteners & Syrups (Jam, Honey, Nut Butters, Maple) (CRADAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pastry, Cakes & Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAFAB)

Keywords

• Dried tart cherries
• Cherry specialty foods
• Door County cherries
• Dried fruit snacks
• Cherry gift boxes

Headquarters

HQ city

Forestville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through countryovens.com. Products are shipped Monday-Friday, with orders placed after Friday noon held until Monday. Standard 2 business day processing for online orders.
2. Factory Retail Store: Factory retail store in Forestville, WI offering outlet pricing and case discounts. Products sold in-person at the production facility location.
3. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale distribution to grocery stores throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. Products available at Festival Foods, Woodmans, Piggly Wiggly, Hyvee, and various other retail locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Country Ovens processes and sells dried Montmorency tart cherries and a portfolio of cherry-based specialty food products under the Cherry De-Lite brand, sourced exclusively from Door County, Wisconsin. The product line spans multiple package sizes of dried cherries, chocolate-covered cherries, 100% tart cherry juice, dried fruit and nut mixes, sauces/preserves/mustards, and themed gift boxes. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via a factory store and countryovens.com, and distributed wholesale to grocery retailers across the upper Midwest.

Product overview

Country Ovens is a food products company specializing in dried tart cherries and cherry-based products under the Cherry De-Lite brand. The product portfolio centers on Door County, Wisconsin Montmorency tart cherries and includes: core dried fruit products (dried tart cherries in multiple sizes, chocolate-covered cherries in milk and dark chocolate varieties, cherry juices); the De-Lite line extension featuring dried blueberries and cranberries; and an extensive sauces and toppings category including BBQ sauce, chutney, preserves, mustard, salsa, syrup, vinaigrette, and specialty items like cherry sprinkles and CherRub spice rub. The company also offers curated gift boxes in various themes (holiday, grilling, seasonal occasions) combining multiple products. All products are processed and packaged in Door County, Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cherry De-Lite: Brand name for dried tart cherries, tart cherry juice, and cherry-based products. The company's primary product line featuring Montmorency tart cherries from Door County, Wisconsin.
• Blueberry De-Lite
• Cranberry De-Lite

Products and services

• Cherry De-Lite Dried Tart Cherries

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 scientific studies support tart cherry health benefits including anti-inflammatory properties, sleep improvement, and cardiovascular support

Named customers5 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Festival FoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor wholesale distribution partner with locations throughout Wisconsin including Green Bay (East, West, North), Suamico, DePere, Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Janesville, Madison, and Baraboo.
• WoodmanscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partner with locations in Green Bay, Appleton, Janesville, Beloit, Madison (East, West), Kenosha, Rockford, Sun Prairie, Carpentersville, North Aurora, and Oak Creek.
• Piggly WigglycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partner with locations in Door County (Sister Bay), Cottage Grove, Beaver Dam, Lake Geneva, Mayville, Waunakee, and Jefferson.
• HyveeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partner in Madison area including Maple Bluff location.
• Door County Grocery StorescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution to local Door County grocers including Sister Bay Piggly Wiggly, Main Street Market, and Econo Foods. Also distributed through West Allis Cheese & Company and Milwaukee Public Market.
• Madison Public MarketminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialty food retail location in Milwaukee featuring Cherry De-Lite products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cherry Republic: Traverse City, Michigan-based specialty food company focused on cherry products (jams, juices, chocolate-covered, dried, baked goods) sold via retail stores, e-commerce, and wholesale. Closest like-for-like peer: single-fruit terroir brand with farm-to-jar positioning and a strong tourist/destination retail channel.
• Traverse Bay Farms: Michigan producer of dried cherries, cherry juice concentrates, and cherry-based supplements sold through DTC e-commerce and wholesale. Directly comparable product overlap (dried tart Montmorency cherries, cherry juice) targeting health-conscious consumers in the upper Midwest cherry belt.

Broad incumbents

• King Arthur Baking Company: Heritage New England-based baking brand (flours, mixes, ingredients) with strong DTC, grocery, and foodservice presence. Comparable in long-tenured (80+ year) heritage CPG brand, recipe/content-driven content marketing, and multi-channel specialty food distribution model.
• Mariani Packing Company: Large California-based dried fruit manufacturer (raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots) supplying retail and ingredient customers globally. Comparable in product format (dried fruit including cherries) and channel mix (retail brand + foodservice/ingredient), but at vastly greater scale and broader portfolio.
• Eden Foods: Long-standing organic and natural foods brand producing dried fruits, beans, grains, and Japanese pantry items. Comparable in heritage natural-foods manufacturing, multi-channel distribution (DTC, natural grocery, specialty wholesale), and emphasis on regional authenticity (e.g., Michigan sour cherries).
• Ocean Spray Cranberries: Farmer-owned cooperative selling cranberry juice, dried cranberries, and sauces across grocery, foodservice, and DTC. Comparable in single-commodity fruit brand identity, CPG manufacturing model, and broad retail distribution, but at national scale and with a different fruit category.

Emerging players

• Made In Nature: Organic dried fruit and snack brand (cranberries, cherries, mango, figs) sold via DTC e-commerce and natural-foods wholesale. Comparable in organic/clean-label positioning, DTC-first GTM, and dried-fruit hero SKUs targeting the same health-conscious consumer segment.
• Stahlbush Island Farms: Oregon-based grower and manufacturer of frozen fruits, purees, and dried fruits sold to retail and foodservice customers. Comparable in farm-integrated CPG model, single-fruit specialization, and presence in both ingredient/foodservice and retail channels.

Regional players

• Wisconsin Cheese Company: Wisconsin-anchored specialty food platform marketing regional cheeses, meats, and gift assortments nationally. Comparable as a Wisconsin-origin specialty food brand with strong gift-box, e-commerce, and food-tourism identity targeting the same regional-pride customer.
• Door County Coffee & Tea: Door County, Wisconsin-based specialty coffee and tea roaster sold via DTC, factory store, and regional wholesale. Comparable regional specialty-food brand anchored to Door County terroir, with a gift-box and tourism-led retail channel that overlaps with Country Ovens' customer base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CountryOvensLTD
• Facebookfacebook.com/countryovens
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/country-ovens-ltd

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 Country Ovens