November 12, 2004
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WIDE VARIETY — Shullsburg Creamery offers a wide variety of cheese to its customers.

CHEESEHEADS — Shullsburg Creamery is the official cheese sponsor of the Green Bay Packers. Packers Offensive Tackle Mark Tauscher is the official spokesman and is featured on Shullsburg Creamery’s Packers promotional literature.

By Kate Sander

SHULLSBURG, Wis. — In December, Shullsburg Creamery, which ceased cheese production in 1994, will resume making cheese in a new 22,000-square-foot traditional cheese factory with state-of-the art touches.

Scott Stocker, president and CEO, Shullsburg Creamery, says the 70-year-old company ceased cheesemaking a decade ago because it was operating plants that were too old and too small to be financially viable. Since then, the company has focused on the packaging and distribution of its branded products. However, as demand has grown for the company’s cheese, Stocker decided it was time to be in the production business once again.

“We need to better manage our supply chain,” Stocker says, adding that over time it has become more difficult to find consistent, high-quality traditional cheeses in the quantities required. He is concerned that as the company continues to grow, eventually there will be too great of a burden put on its current supply chain.

“We are managing risk,” he says. “We will have a company that is vertically integrated. We’re not milking cows and we’re not retailing, but we are covering all the points in between.”

The new plant will not replace the company’s suppliers, but rather supplement supply when current suppliers have trouble keeping up. Stocker sees the facility as a means for additional growth. At peak capacity, the new plant will have the capability to process 400,000 pounds of milk daily, which won’t be enough to cover all of the company’s needs.

“We need to work with our suppliers to ensure a strong supplier network in addition to our manufacturing division,” he says.

• Consistency and quality

Stocker attributes the company’s continuing growth, particularly over the past few years, to a focus on the basics: consistent quality cheese, customer service and innovative sales programs bringing the right kinds of cheese into the market. Retailers are looking for even better service, availability and variety, he says.

“They need points of difference in their stores,” Stocker says. “The times are changing and they are looking for new partners who can provide the products and services they need to compete. We are positioning ourselves as specialists in the cheese category.”

Stocker is proud of the fact that he is particular about the cheese his company sells and that Shullsburg Creamery makes the investments necessary to ensure consistent quality throughout the product line. To that end, Shullsburg Creamery has added a full food safety lab and quarantines all cheese it receives for 48 hours prior to distribution for lab analysis, quality grading, package and coding compliance. Licensed Wisconsin cheese graders and cheesemakers on the company’s quality control staff conduct this activity.

In 2002, the company relocated its warehousing and distribution to a new facility, which features a state-of-the art racking system. The new plant is adjacent to this distribution facility on the edge of town. Cheese is delivered to the market via company-owned semi-trucks. Shullsburg Creamery sells its products predominantly in the Midwest under labels including Shullsburg Wisconsin Cheese, Shullsburg Lite, Italia, Wisconsin Fresh Cut and Water Street Market brands.

The company’s continued focus will be on tried and true Wisconsin favorites,Stocker says, including what he calls the original Wisconsin specialty cheese — Colby.

“Quality can be found in small batch production using time-honored cheesemaking skills,” he says. The new Shullsburg cheese factory will feature traditional open-top vats. In addition, the company will invest in a wastewater treatment system that will eliminate landspreading.

“This is an issue of great concern in our state today and the company could not build a new cheese factory without budgeting for this wastewater facility,” Stocker says.

• New items all of the time

In the midst of building the plant, the company also has been expanding its product lines. A new line of tub butter, sour cream, cottage cheese and French onion dip was added about six months ago as part of the effort to be a complete supplier of customer’s needs in the dairy department. The line is selling well, Stocker says.

To be a full-service supplier to the retail trade, the company continues to offer its Water Street Market brand, which includes other food items such as hams, roast beef, summer sausage, snack sticks and pre-sliced bagels.

That doesn’t completely round out the company’s offerings, however. In recent years, Shullsburg Creamery has added a total exact weight cheese program for dairy departments and a sharp Cheddar specifically made not to crumble when sliced at the deli. There is a full line of three-pound natural sliced cheese, Stocker says. In addition, the mini deli horn line has been expanded, and the company is offering retail shredded cheese in printed bags, pre-sliced burger slices, fresh cheese curds in 12-ounce bags, a full line of shingle sliced cheeses and a versatile cheese cube program. Last, but not least, the company also is the official cheese sponsor of the Green Bay Packers.

The company recently negotiated an agreement with Game Day Sports to create a 13-product line of Packers products including Colby, Colby Jack, Mild Brick, Mild Cheddar, Mild Swiss, Hot Pepper, cheese-n-salami, fresh mixed cheese curds, a party pack, 12-ounce String cheese, a String cheese family pack, Green Bay Packer French onion dip and the official Tail-Gaten Tray. The tail-gating tray includes two cheese spreads, a four-cheese party pack, a 12-ounce summer sausage, 5 ounces of crackers and a free Packer prize. The line was launched in July. Packers Offensive Tackle Mark Tauscher is the official spokesman and is featured on Shullsburg Creamery’s Packers literature.

• Getting the word out

With “cheesehead” being a quickly-identified image of Wisconsin, Stocker sees a great deal of potential in tourism. The new plant will feature a large observation area so that visitors can see traditional cheesemaking. While he is still working out the details, Stocker expects to include an educational, interactive experience for guests to participate in on their self-guided tours.

Visitors to the plant may stay at the Risken-Lee Holiday House, an 1840s renovated tourist rooming house owned by the creamery. They may eat at the Brewster Café and purchase Shullsburg cheese at the cheese store, a facility also owned by the creamery. These tourist operations, located in historic downtown Shullsburg, are near the company’s original cheese plant which now is used for packaging and conversion work. Stocker sees these ventures as being quite integrated with the company’s operations.

“We’re creating a place to come learn about and experience the fun and excitement surrounding quality Wisconsin cheese,” he says.

CMN