Specialty Cheese company

What Specialty Cheese company does

Specialty Cheese Company Inc. is a privately held, Wisconsin-based private-label manufacturer of ethnic cheeses founded in 1991 through the acquisition of five historic cheese factories, one of which dates to the 1860s and is recognized as Wisconsin's oldest continuously operating cheese factory. In 2003, the company relocated and converted a former local high school into its modern production facility in Reeseville, Wisconsin, which operates at SQF Level III (SQFIII) food safety certification. The company operates three branded product lines targeting distinct ethnic consumer segments: Rich Cow™ covers Middle Eastern cheeses (Ackawi, Jibneh Arabieh, Naboulsi) and frying cheeses; La VacaRica® covers Hispanic varieties (Queso Blanco, Panela, Asadero, Cotija, Queso Fresco); and BHARATMA™ covers Indian Paneer and Ghee, including the 2018 World Championship Cheese Contest Best of Class Paneer.

The underlying production approach combines traditional ethnic recipes with modern food-safety and shelf-life extension methods—addressing the historical limitations of ethnic cheeses that were either very salty or had very short shelf lives. Products are sold in retail sizes (12 oz, 14 oz, 1 lb) and bulk formats (5 lb random blocks, 40 lb blocks), including a salt-free, rennet-free Paneer architecture that enables both savory and sweet applications.

The business model is a B2B private-label manufacturing operation: revenue is generated through direct sales of branded and unbranded ethnic cheese SKUs at wholesale prices, with quote-based pricing, minimum order requirements on select products, and no publicly disclosed consumer pricing. Distribution is direct-to-buyer across the globe, with marketing conducted through the corporate website, product information request forms, and direct phone/email outreach. Customer segments are horizontal—spanning grocery retailers, food service operators, specialty/ethnic grocers, and downstream consumers in multicultural and immigrant communities seeking authentic ethnic cheeses with extended shelf stability.

Name

Specialty Cheese company

Legal name

Specialty Cheese Company Inc.

Website

https://specialcheese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Specialty Cheese Company is a Wisconsin-based private-label manufacturer of ethnic cheeses founded in 1991, producing Indian (BHARATMA), Hispanic (La VacaRica), and Middle Eastern (Rich Cow) cheese lines for B2B retail and food service customers globally, using SQFIII-certified modern methods adapted from traditional recipes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Creamery Butter Manufacturing (311512)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Ethnic cheese manufacturing
• Private label dairy
• Paneer cheese production
• Hispanic cheese products
• Specialty cheese maker

Headquarters

HQ city

Reeseville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private-Label Cheese Manufacturing: The company operates as a private-label manufacturer producing ethnic cheeses for B2B customers. Products are sold in various sizes including retail (12oz, 14oz, 1lb) and bulk quantities (5lb, 25lb, 40lb blocks). Revenue is generated through one-time product sales at wholesale prices based on volume.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Specialty Cheese Company is a private-label manufacturer of ethnic-style cheeses founded in 1991 and based in Reeseville, Wisconsin. The company produces paneer, Hispanic-style cheeses, Middle Eastern cheeses, frying cheeses, and ghee, marketed under its own brands including Rich Cow™, La VacaRica®, and BHARATMA™. It operates an SQFIII-rated manufacturing facility and supplies global food-industry customers.

Product overview

Specialty Cheese Company is a private-label manufacturer of ethnic cheeses offering multiple product lines under distinct brands. The portfolio includes Rich Cow™ Frying Cheeses and Rich Cow™ Cheeses of Middle East for Middle Eastern cuisine; La VacaRica® Hispanic Cheeses featuring fresh, hard, and melting varieties for Mexican and Latin American cooking; and BHARATMA® Paneer and Ghee for Indian cuisine. The company also produces Paneer and Ghee products. All products are manufactured at an SQFIII-rated facility in Reeseville, Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rich Cow™: Brand featuring frying cheeses and Middle Eastern cheeses including Ackawi, Jibneh Arabieh, Naboulsi, Paneer, Kenafa, and Sweet Cheese.
• La VacaRica®
• BHARATMA™

Products and services

• Paneer (Indian-style cheese)
• Hispanic-style cheeses
• Middle Eastern cheese varieties
• Frying cheeses
• Ghee (clarified butter)
• Branded ethnic cheese lines (Rich Cow™, La VacaRica®, BHARATMA™)

Quantifiable outcome

• World Championship Best of Class 2018 for Paneer quality

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sargento Foods: Wisconsin-based specialty cheese manufacturer offering branded and foodservice cheese products across natural, shredded, and snack cheese formats. Comparable as a specialty cheese manufacturer with multi-category portfolios targeting B2B retail and foodservice channels.
• Gossner Foods: Utah-based specialty cheese manufacturer producing Hispanic-style cheeses (Queso Fresco, Panela, Requesón) as well as Swiss and other varieties. Comparable as a specialty cheese manufacturer focused on ethnic Hispanic SKUs for US retail and foodservice.
• Karoun Dairies: Producer of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Hispanic cheeses including Ackawi, Jibneh, and Paneer variants. Directly comparable to Specialty Cheese's Rich Cow Middle East line and overall ethnic cheese positioning.
• Great Lakes Cheese: One of the largest US private-label cheese manufacturers, headquartered in Wisconsin. Directly comparable as a B2B cheese manufacturer producing private-label and branded natural cheese for retail and foodservice customers across multiple categories.
• Cacique: Hispanic dairy and cheese brand producing authentic Mexican-style cheeses including Queso Fresco, Panela, and Asadero for US Hispanic consumers. Directly competes with La VacaRica brand in the same ethnic Hispanic cheese segment.

Broad incumbents

• Bel Brands USA: US subsidiary of Bel Group producing The Laughing Cow and Babybel, plus cheese snacks including string cheese. Comparable as a multinational cheese incumbent competing for share-of-stomach in snacking and ethnic-adjacent segments.
• Schreiber Foods: Large private dairy and private-label cheese and yogurt manufacturer serving global retail and foodservice customers. Overlaps as a broad private-label dairy incumbent with cheese capabilities, though significantly larger and more diversified.
• Saputo: Multinational dairy manufacturer with significant US operations producing cheese, including Hispanic-style cheese brands (Frigo, Polly-O). A broad incumbent with overlapping ethnic cheese capabilities and substantially greater scale.
• Lactalis USA: US arm of global dairy giant Lactalis, owner of brands like Galbani, President, and Sorrento. Broad incumbent with overlapping specialty and ethnic cheese capabilities and significantly greater scale and retail relationships.

Emerging players

• Amul: India's largest dairy cooperative producing Paneer, Ghee, and other Indian dairy products. Comparable as a producer of authentic Indian Paneer and Ghee with growing US distribution; competes most directly with BHARATMA brand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/specialcheese
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/specialty-cheese-company-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

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 Specialty Cheese company