Klondike Cheese Co.

What Klondike Cheese Co. does

Klondike Cheese Company is a fourth-generation, family-owned Wisconsin specialty dairy manufacturer founded in 1925 by Swiss immigrants Ernest and Marie Buholzer. The company operates a single manufacturing facility at its original site in Monroe, Green County, Wisconsin, producing a broad portfolio of specialty cheeses and adjacent dairy products under two consumer brands: Odyssey (feta cheese, Greek yogurt, dips, sour cream, and labneh) and Buholzer Brothers (Havarti, Muenster, Gouda, and Brick). Production relies on local cow's milk sourced from neighboring Wisconsin dairy farms and combines time-honored artisan techniques with state-of-the-art equipment; the staff includes five Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers, described as the largest such concentration among Wisconsin cheese makers.

The company serves both end consumers (through retail grocery nationwide) and institutional buyers (through foodservice distributors serving restaurants, delis, and food manufacturers). Distribution is exclusively domestic within the United States. Revenue is generated through wholesale and foodservice pricing on bulk orders, with no public pricing or revenue disclosure. The go-to-market motion combines nationwide shelf presence under the Odyssey and Buholzer Brothers brands with a content-driven consumer engagement engine — a substantial recipe library, recipe videos, an email newsletter, and active accounts across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter — supported by brand heritage storytelling around the Buholzer family and Wisconsin cheesemaking tradition.

The business is privately held with no parent company, no institutional investment, and no public listing. Headcount is reported in the 101–250 range. There is no evidence of AI/ML capabilities, external funding, M&A activity, international operations, or material expansion beyond ongoing brand and channel investment.

Name

Klondike Cheese Co.

Legal name

Klondike Cheese Company

Website

https://klondikecheese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Klondike Cheese Company is a fourth-generation, family-owned Wisconsin specialty dairy manufacturer producing Odyssey feta, Greek yogurt, dips, sour cream, labneh, and Buholzer Brothers cheeses (Havarti, Muenster, Gouda, Brick) for U.S. retail grocery and foodservice customers from its Monroe, Wisconsin facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

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

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA), Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC)

Keywords

• Specialty cheese manufacturing
• Wisconsin artisan cheese
• Greek yogurt production
• Family dairy products
• Feta cheese producer

Headquarters

HQ city

Monroe

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Klondike Cheese Co. manufactures specialty cheeses and Greek-style dairy products at its original Green County, Wisconsin facility. Its portfolio includes Odyssey® feta, Greek yogurt, dips, sour cream, and labneh, plus Buholzer Brothers® Havarti, Muenster, Gouda, and Brick cheeses, made with locally sourced Wisconsin cow's milk under traditional Swiss cheesemaking methods.

Product overview

Klondike Cheese Co. operates as a 4th generation family-owned Wisconsin cheese company offering a portfolio of specialty dairy products under two primary consumer brands: Odyssey® (feta cheese, Greek yogurt, dips, sour cream, and labneh) and Buholzer Brothers® (Havarti, Muenster, Gouda, and Brick cheeses). The company crafts cheese at its original site in Green County, Wisconsin, using local cow's milk and state-of-the-art equipment, with five Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers on staff. The products are distributed nationally under award-winning brands, with Odyssey® Feta being a constant award winner and the Odyssey® brand sweeping the flavored feta class at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Odyssey®: Brand offering feta cheese, Greek yogurt, dips, sour cream and labneh products.
• Buholzer Brothers®

Products and services

• Odyssey® Brand Flagship consumer brand offering Odyssey® feta cheese (a constant award winner made with local cow's milk), Greek yogurt, dips, sour cream, and labneh. The brand swept the flavored feta class at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest.
• Buholzer Brothers® Brand Specialty cheese brand featuring Havarti, Muenster, Gouda, and Brick cheeses, produced by the fourth-generation family-owned company.
• Odyssey® Feta Authentic feta cheese made with local Wisconsin cow's milk and state-of-the-art equipment, recognized nationally as a constant award winner and class winner at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest.
• Odyssey® Greek Yogurt Greek yogurt produced by Klondike Cheese Co., part of the Odyssey® brand portfolio, made with the same commitment to quality as their award-winning cheese products.
• Buholzer Brothers® Havarti Havarti cheese under the Buholzer Brothers® brand, one of the specialty cheeses in Klondike's product lineup.
• Buholzer Brothers® Muenster Muenster cheese under the Buholzer Brothers® brand, part of Klondike's specialty cheese portfolio.
• Buholzer Brothers® Gouda Gouda cheese under the Buholzer Brothers® brand, part of Klondike's specialty cheese portfolio.
• Buholzer Brothers® Brick Brick cheese under the Buholzer Brothers® brand, part of Klondike's specialty cheese portfolio.
• Odyssey® Dips and Sour Cream Dips and sour cream products under the Odyssey® brand, including Greek sour cream, part of Klondike's dairy product portfolio.
• Odyssey® Labneh Labneh (strained yogurt) product under the Odyssey® brand, part of Klondike's Mediterranean-style dairy portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Class sweep at 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest in flavored feta category

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

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

Broad incumbents

• Saputo Inc. One of the largest dairy processors in North America with broad cheese, yogurt, and dairy ingredient portfolios. Comparable as a diversified dairy incumbent with overlapping feta, specialty cheese, and cultured dairy categories.
• Schreiber Foods: Privately held, employee-owned dairy company producing cheese, yogurt, and dairy ingredients for retail and foodservice. Comparable as a large private dairy manufacturer with overlapping cheese and cultured product lines.
• Lactalis Group: Global dairy conglomerate with major U.S. cheese brands including feta (President) and Italian-style cheeses. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing in the same feta and specialty cheese categories.
• Leprino Foods Company: World's largest mozzarella producer and major dairy ingredient supplier. Comparable as a privately held, large-scale cheese manufacturer with national foodservice and ingredient distribution.

Direct peers

• Sargento Foods: Wisconsin-based privately held cheese company specializing in natural shredded, sliced, and snack cheeses. Comparable as a national specialty cheese brand competing in the same retail and foodservice channels.
• Hilmar Cheese Company: Large privately held cheese manufacturer (cheddar, Monterey Jack, dairy ingredients). Comparable as a private, scale-focused cheese producer serving retail and foodservice with vertically integrated milk supply.
• Great Lakes Cheese: Privately held U.S. cheese manufacturer producing natural and processed cheeses for retail and foodservice. Comparable as a private cheese manufacturer with national branded and private-label distribution.
• BelGioioso Cheese Company: Family-owned Wisconsin specialty cheese manufacturer producing Italian-style and artisan cheeses. Direct comparable as a private, multi-generational Wisconsin cheese maker with national specialty distribution and a similar craft/quality positioning.

Emerging players

• Chobani LLC: Leading U.S. Greek yogurt brand that has expanded into creamers, oat milk, and adjacent dairy. Comparable as a category-defining Greek yogurt and cultured dairy brand competing in Odyssey's yogurt/labneh whitespace.

Regional players

• Emmi Group: Swiss dairy company with roots in Swiss cheesemaking traditions, now operating internationally. Comparable as a heritage European cheese maker with multi-generational craft traditions and premium positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/klondikecheese
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCI5E-8tbOW4qh15C4pDgULw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Odysseybrands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/klondike-cheese-co.
• Instagraminstagram.com/odysseybrands
• Pinterestpinterest.com/klondikecheesecompany/?eq=klond&etslf=9762

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 Klondike Cheese Co.