Fromagerie St-guillaume

What Fromagerie St-guillaume does

Fromagerie St-Guillaume is the cheese-producing division of Agrilait S.E.C. (formerly La Coop Agrilait), a Quebec-based dairy cooperative with 200+ producer members and 250 employees across its processing units. Founded in 1940 in Saint-Guillaume, Quebec, the company transforms approximately 32 million liters of milk per year into a portfolio of cheeses anchored by Le P'tit Frais fresh cheddar curds and extending across aged cheddars (doux through extra-fort), Swiss (including an award-winning gruyère-type and a 35%-reduced-fat variant), Emmental, Monterey Jack, La Brique pizza mozzarella, Parmesan, Baya Halloumi grilling cheese, Tortillons brined twists, fondue and Tex-Mex blends, poutine sauce, and a growing lactose-free line. Its technical differentiator is the proprietary cheddaring process — repeated cutting, stacking, and turning of curds to controlled pH, fat, and moisture levels — which yields the signature "skouik skouik" squeak and a less acidic, less salty curd profile than market alternatives, validated by awards including Sélection Caseus 2025 and Royal Agricultural Winter Fair 2025 podiums. The company holds SQF Level 2 (GFSI-recognized) food-safety certification.

The business operates a multi-channel go-to-market: a 40-exclusive-distributor network delivering fresh products early morning across Quebec, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store with home delivery to most of Quebec, a dedicated HRI (Hotels, Restaurants, Institutions) sales team offering bulk formats and custom solutions, a retail boutique at the on-site Interpretation Centre with exclusive flavored SKUs, and distribution through major Quebec retailers. International exposure is episodic and partner-mediated: a 2019 launch in Japan via Air Canada's Poutinerie event, a 2019 first-of-kind Quebec cheese-curd export to France via Canadian Food Wholesaler, and a 2023 relaunch into France and broader Europe through LMC Gourmet (Beauvallet). Notable enterprise customers/partners include MS3 Food (Air Canada/Air Transat poutines, 300,000+ servings served by early 2020), Pacini restaurants (Mozzafila), and BRGRBOX.ca (home-delivery burgers/poutines, formed during COVID-19). The company generated public-facing milestone momentum through a C$2.5 million repayable government contribution (CED, August 2026) for production and wastewater equipment modernization, an October 2021 plant expansion, and a corporate restructuring from La Coop Agrilait to Agrilait S.E.C. in October 2019 alongside a full brand refresh and website launch.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company is private and cooperative-owned. There is no public ticker, no external venture funding, and no disclosed financial metrics. Strategic posture is best characterized as a capacity-led, heritage-anchored regional Quebec dairy processor pursuing measured geographic diversification (Europe relaunch) and product line extension (lactose-free, HRI formats, specialty SKUs), with operational scaling funded primarily through government contributions and cooperative internal capital rather than external equity.

Name

Fromagerie St-guillaume

Legal name

Agrilait S.E.C.

Website

https://stguillaume.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Fromagerie St-Guillaume is a Quebec dairy cooperative division producing fresh cheddar curds, aged cheddars, Swiss, Halloumi, and lactose-free cheeses for retail consumers, HRI customers, and limited European/Japanese export markets through a 40-distributor network and DTC e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB), Pasta Filata Cheese Manufacturing (Mozzarella, Provolone, String Cheese) (AFAHABAC), Cheese Blending & Formulation (Retail & Foodservice Blends) (AFAHABAG), Cheese Shops & Fromageries (CRAHAGAD)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese production
• Cheddar cheese curds
• Dairy manufacturing
• Foodservice cheese distribution
• Quebec dairy products

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Guillaume

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cheese Product Sales: Direct sales of cheese products including cheese curds, aged cheddars, Swiss, Halloumi, and other varieties through retail, food service, and e-commerce channels. Products sold in various formats from small retail packs to bulk commercial quantities.
2. Retail Store Sales: Direct retail sales at the Interpretation Centre boutique, offering full product range and exclusive flavoured cheeses not available elsewhere.
3. E-commerce/Direct-to-Consumer: Online store sales with home delivery across Quebec, offering themed cheese boxes and individual products with free delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fromagerie St-Guillaume is a Quebec-based cheese manufacturer that transforms over 32 million liters of milk per year from local producer members into a broad portfolio of cheese products. The flagship product is Le P'tit Frais cheddar cheese curds made using a traditional cheddarization process, alongside aged cheddars, Swiss, Halloumi, Emmental, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Parmesan, Tortillons (brined cheese twists), fondue blends, and poutine sauce, distributed through retail, foodservice, e-commerce, and international export channels.

Product overview

Fromagerie St-Guillaume is a Quebec-based cheese factory owned by Agrilait S.E.C. that transforms over 32 million liters of milk per year into cheese. The product portfolio centers around Le P'tit Frais, their flagship cheddar cheese curd made using traditional cheddaring process, and extends to a comprehensive range including aged cheddars (doux, mi-fort, fort, extra-fort), Swiss cheese including award-winning varieties and light options (35% less fat), Baya Halloumi grilling cheese, Emmental, Monterey Jack, La Brique pizza mozzarella, Parmesan, Tortillons (brined cheese twists), various fondue and Tex-Mex blends, poutine sauce, and flavored cheese variants. The company also offers themed cheese boxes through its online store and exclusive products at its Interpretation Centre. Products serve retail, HRI (hotels, restaurants, institutions) sectors, and international markets in Europe and Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Le P'tit Frais: Flagship cheddar cheese curds product made fresh daily, undergoing the complete traditional cheddaring process.
• Tortillon
• Baya Halloumi

Products and services

• Le P'tit Frais (Cheddar cheese curds)

Quantifiable outcome

• Le P'tit Frais Cheddar Curds is less acidic and less salty than the majority of other cheese curds on the market (based on 2018 sodium content comparison)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Pacini restaurantsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 May 2024Mozzafila cheese product featured on Pacini restaurant menus across their locations.
• LMC Gourmet (Beauvallet)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2023New import-export partnership for European market. LMC Gourmet, part of Beauvallet companies, is the exclusive import-export partner for St-Guillaume cheese products in France and Europe. They handle distribution to European restaurants and retailers, offering 2kg frozen curd bags for food service and 500g bags for retail frozen food aisles.
• BRGRBOX.caminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 April 2020Home delivery service for burger and poutine ingredients. BRGRBOX uses St-Guillaume cheese curds as an ingredient in their poutine products delivered to consumers. Partnership emerged during COVID-19 pandemic for local food delivery.
• Mie Ame BakeryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 March 2020Artisan bakery supplying burger buns for BRGRBOX.ca poutine deliveries. Partnership formed during COVID-19 to support local Quebec SMEs.
• Frites Saint-ArneaultminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 March 2020Fresh fries supplier for BRGRBOX.ca poutine deliveries. Partnership formed during COVID-19 to support local Quebec SMEs.
• Viandes CardinalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 March 2020Meat supplier for BRGRBOX.ca burger and poutine deliveries. Partnership formed during COVID-19 to support local Quebec SMEs.
• MS3 FoodcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 31 January 2020Business partner distributing St-Guillaume cheese curds for poutines served on Air Canada and Air Transat flights. As of early 2020, had served over 300,000 poutines on flights. Founded by Daniel Paquette in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.
• Air Canada (Poutinerie)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 November 2019Air Canada Poutinerie event at Tokyo, Japan featuring St-Guillaume cheese curds in traditional Quebec poutines. Event ran from November 29 to December 7, 2019, offering poutines inspired by Air Canada's 200+ international destinations.
• Larouche Marketing CommunicationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 October 2019Marketing agency that worked with Fromagerie St-Guillaume to modernize brand image and create the new website in 2019. Responsible for new visual signature and refreshed brand identity.
• Canadian Food WholesalerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 July 2019Export partner that facilitated the first Quebec cheese curds reaching French soil in 2019. Historic partnership marking the first Canadian cheese factory to export cheese curds to France.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Saputo Inc. Canada's largest dairy processor with a broad cheese portfolio including Alexis de Portneuf (Quebec specialty cheese). Overlaps directly with St-Guillaume on retail and HRI cheese categories, but at significantly greater scale and with national/international reach.
• Bel Group: French multinational cheese manufacturer (The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Kiri). Comparable as a globally scaled cheese brand with branded packaged cheese products; overlaps on retail cheese merchandising and export channels into Europe.
• Parmalat Canada: Subsidiary of Lactalis operating a broad Canadian dairy and cheese portfolio. Competes with St-Guillaume across retail cheese categories and HRI channels, with multinational backing and far larger scale.
• Lactalis: World's largest dairy group with extensive cheese portfolio (President, Galbani, Parmalat). Overlaps with St-Guillaume across cheese categories and through Parmalat Canada, and is the parent group of St-Guillaume's European partner Beauvallet.

Direct peers

• Tre Stelle: Canadian specialty cheese brand (now part of Lactalis Canada) offering mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta and Italian-style cheeses. Direct comparable on retail packaged cheese, foodservice channels, and Canadian cheese merchandising.
• Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser: Quebec artisanal cheese maker specializing in washed-rind and traditional European-style cheeses. Comparable on premium Quebec cheese positioning, awards-based differentiation, and direct-to-consumer retail.
• Fromagerie Bergeron: Quebec-based specialty cheese producer focused on cheddar curds and traditional Quebec cheeses. Direct comparable on product, geography, and target customer base (retail and HRI in Quebec).
• Agropur Cooperative: Canadian dairy cooperative with a major cheese manufacturing portfolio including natrel and OKA brands. Most direct comparable as a Quebec-rooted dairy cooperative competing in the same cheese categories with national distribution.
• Laiterie de Coaticook: Quebec dairy cooperative producing cheese and other dairy products. Comparable cooperative structure, regional Quebec distribution, and overlapping cheese portfolio with St-Guillaume.

Regional players

• Arla Foods: International dairy cooperative with a strong cheese portfolio (Castello, Lurpak). Comparable as a cooperative-led cheese manufacturer operating across multiple geographies, though primarily competing in European rather than North American markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Fromagerie.St-Guillaume
• Facebookfacebook.com/FromagerieStGuillaume
• Instagraminstagram.com/fromageriestguillaume
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-fromagerie-st-guillaume

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Fromagerie St-guillaume