What comte usa does

Comte USA (legal name: Comte USA; DBA: Comté Cheese Association USA) is a private, non-profit industry trade association headquartered at 29 Middagh St., Brooklyn, NY 11201. The organization represents French Comté cheese producers — dairy farmers, cheesemakers, and affineurs from the Jura region of France — in the United States market, operating as the US counterpart of the Comité Interprofessionnel du Comté (CIGC), the governing body for Comté production in France.

The association does not develop technology products. Its core "products" are the educational and marketing assets used to promote Comté cheese: an extensive recipe library, cooking-school and cheesemonger video series, a bi-annual four-page newsletter, a 50-page Comté Kitchen Booklet of recipes and serving tips, a laminated Comté Aroma Wheel documenting 83 flavor and aroma descriptors, and trade collateral (brochures, POS materials, recipe cards, an importer/distributor list). Distribution of the underlying cheese itself runs through a network of importers, distributors, and US retailers (e.g., Costco) and food-service operators (e.g., Qué Bárbaro, LA).

The business model is non-commercial promotion rather than direct sales. Comte USA does not sell cheese, set retail pricing, or collect licensing royalties disclosed in the source material; rather, it sustains demand via content marketing, trade support, scholarship programs (e.g., the 2025 Comté Scholarship), and earned media coverage in outlets such as Tasting Table, Serious Eats, and Food & Wine. Revenue mechanics are not disclosed on the company website, and the entity has no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or ownership structure.

Name

comte usa

Legal name

Comte USA

Website

https://comte-usa.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Comte USA (Comté Cheese Association USA) is a Brooklyn-based non-profit trade association that promotes French Comté cheese in the United States through recipes, videos, newsletters, and trade support, serving importers, distributors, retailers, chefs, and food enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cheese Trade Association

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Cheese Wholesale (AFAIAEAC), Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC)

Keywords

• Cheese trade association
• Artisanal cheese marketing
• Dairy producer representation
• Cheese education resources
• Food trade promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Industry Association Activities: Comte USA functions as the Comté Cheese Association USA, representing dairy farmers, cheesemakers and affineurs involved in Comté production. The organization promotes Comté cheese in the US market through marketing, education, and trade resources rather than direct product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Comte USA is the US trade and marketing association for French Comté cheese, representing dairy farmers, cheesemakers, and affineurs on behalf of the CIGC. It does not produce or sell cheese directly; instead it promotes Comté in the US through trade resources (POS materials, brochures, recipe cards, aroma wheels), consumer education (recipes, cooking school and cheesemonger videos, newsletter), and chef/restaurant support. Its core activity is demand creation for an AOP-protected artisanal cheese via content, education, and channel enablement.

Product overview

Comte USA (Comté Cheese Association USA) is a cheese industry marketing association representing dairy farmers, cheesemakers, and affineurs involved in Comté cheese production. The organization does not offer a software product but rather promotes French Comté cheese through educational resources, trade marketing materials, and culinary content. The core offering is artisanal Comté cheese itself, supported by a portfolio of resources including trade marketing materials (brochures, aroma wheels, recipe cards), educational video series, newsletters, and recipe collections. These resources serve to educate trade partners (distributors, retailers, restaurants) and consumers about Comté cheese sourcing, production methods, flavor profiles, storage, and culinary uses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comté Cheese (promoted, not sold directly) Artisanal French cheese from the Jura region, aged in cellars by affineurs, known for its complex flavors with 83 distinct aroma descriptors and PDO-protected status. Promoted (not sold) by Comte USA for use by importers, distributors, retailers, chefs, and consumers in the United States.
• Trade Resources Program Marketing and merchandising support program for importers, distributors, and retailers of Comté cheese in the United States, providing brochures, aroma wheels, recipe cards, POS materials, and trade tips to enable in-store selling programs.
• Comté Video Series (Cooking School, Cheesemonger Series, The Comté Experience) Educational video series covering cheese cutting, wrapping, storing, and tasting Comté, plus recipes (fondue, risotto, scones, etc.), with instruction from experts including David Robinson of Formaggio Kitchen. Targeted at chefs, retailers, and food enthusiasts.
• Comté Newsletter Bi-annual 4-page newsletter featuring news about Comté, industry trends, chef and cheese expert interviews, recipes, and production information. Distributed to trade partners and subscribers.
• Comté Kitchen Booklet 50-page booklet featuring 20 Comté recipes with serving tips and production information, available in limited quantities for trade partners as a POS and educational support tool.
• Comté Aroma Wheel Laminated handout illustrating 83 descriptors for the most frequently found aromas and flavors in Comté cheese, serving as a tasting and education tool for cheese professionals and enthusiasts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Comté recognized as one of the best cheeses for melting by Tasting Table
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CIGC (Comité Interprofessionnel du Comté)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Comté Cheese Association USA represents the CIGC in the US market. CIGC is the governing body for Comté cheese production in France, overseeing dairy farmers, cheesemakers, and affineurs. The US association promotes Comté cheese and supports the global Comté cheese community.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Parmigiano Reggiano: The Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano operates a US-facing promotional arm for Italian PDO Parmigiano-Reggiano. Like Comte USA, it is funded by producers, focuses on consumer education and trade marketing, and competes for shelf space and foodservice menu placement in the premium cheese category.
• Roquefort Société: Roquefort Société represents Roquefort producers and runs US-targeted promotional activity for this French PDO blue cheese. It is structurally similar to Comte USA: producer-funded body promoting a single heritage French cheese to US trade and consumers.
• Brie de Meaux / DISFEL: DISFEL promotes Brie de Meaux and other French PDO soft cheeses in export markets including the US. Comparable business model to Comte USA: producer-funded association, PDO heritage, recipe/education-led US marketing.
• Gruyère USA: Gruyère USA is the US marketing body for Swiss Gruyère, a competing European PDO cheese. It is the closest analog to Comte USA: both are national trade-association-style entities promoting a single heritage PDO cheese to US trade and consumers via content, recipes, and trade marketing.

Broad incumbents

• Wisconsin Cheese: Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin's Wisconsin Cheese program promotes the state's cheese portfolio in the US and abroad. It overlaps with Comte USA's mandate of consumer education and trade marketing for premium cheese, but is a larger, state-funded program with broader category scope.
• Real California Milk / California Milk Advisory Board: The California Milk Advisory Board runs the 'Real California Milk' dairy marketing program, a large, well-funded dairy trade marketing body. Comparable in mission (producer-funded trade promotion and consumer education for a cheese/dairy category) but with significantly larger budget and broader category scope than Comte USA.

Others

• American Cheese Society: American Cheese Society is the leading US cheese industry association, hosting the annual ACS Conference and running cheesemonger certification. It is adjacent rather than directly competing: a broader industry body that Comte USA engages with for trade education and events.
• Murray's Cheese: Murray's Cheese is a prominent US specialty cheese retailer and wholesaler (owned by Kroger) that carries Comté among many other cheeses. It is comparable as a downstream trade channel and category curator that Comte USA targets with trade marketing materials.
• iGourmet.com: iGourmet.com is a US online specialty cheese and gourmet foods retailer that stocks Comté and similar imported artisanal cheeses. Comparable as a US distribution channel for premium European cheeses that Comte USA's importer/distributor network supplies.
• Formaggio Kitchen: Formaggio Kitchen is a Cambridge/Boston specialty cheese retailer whose owner David Robinson hosted Comte USA's cheesemonger video series. Comparable as a US specialty retailer and content partner that helps disseminate Comté education to trade and consumers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/141534026013
• Instagraminstagram.com/comte_usa
• Pinterestpinterest.com/comtc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 comte usa