APPLETON, Wis. — Until recently, Bella Pak & Drying was a fairly little known company operating in northeastern Wisconsin, drying and packaging cheese primarily for private label.

However, Ken Meyers, company president, says it’s time to get the word out about the “efficient, well-run, well-maintained” plant.

“We feel we’ve grown to the point with our foundation customer base where we’ve met their needs and now we have the ability to expand,” Meyers says.

“We’ve put everything in place that a company needs to be in place to become a supplier of choice,” Meyers says of the 44,000-square-foot facility, which is HACCP-compliant. “It’s time to take the business to the next level.”

Bella Pak was formed in 2001 with the purchase of packaging equipment for dried Italian cheeses. A few years later, the company purchased batch dryers to more fully integrate the business.

The company dries and packages cheese for private label retail, foodservice and industrial sales, and also sells cheese under its own Redwood Farms label. In addition, the company is in the process of developing a line of products under the Mondo Vecchio brand.

Bella Pak isn’t particularly large but it’s big enough to allow it to service a full range of customers, including start-ups that might have difficulty finding a supplier willing to deal in smaller quantities.

“We’re the new kids on the block and must prove ourselves by way of providing quality products and service,” Meyers says.

New kids on the block, maybe, for a drying and packaging business, but the owner and operators of Bella Pak are anything but new to dairy. Meyers also is CEO of MCT Dairies, a commodity dairy products trading company, and is a 20-plus-years veteran of the industry. The plant manager is David Wangerin, who operated Lov-It Creamery before joining Meyers’ crew several years ago.

Their dairy background serves the company well, and Bella Pak’s product line adds to MCT’s offerings, Meyers notes.

“MCT wanted to diversify its business and take of advantage of our ability to source raw materials worldwide,” he says.

Bella Pak can handle several products, according to Wangerin. In addition to dry grated Italian cheese, which makes up the largest percentage of its business, Bella Pak also can handle Cheddar powders and is presently introducing a private label line of course and fine sea salt.

“We’ve expanded into packaging sea salt as it is a non-contaminant in respect to the plant and equipment while the product allows us to further utilize our sales and distribution channel,” Meyers says.

Sea salt goes hand-in-hand with the company’s packaging abilities, Wangerin says. Among other things, the company also has the ability to do sports shake powders and other dairy blends, he notes.

“We want to let people know we’re here and what we can do,” Wangerin says.

Not only is the company open to making the products it currently provides, the staff also is open to developing new products. Wangerin says he’s up for developing any niche or specialty food item.

Bella Pak has the ability to manage specialty blends, Wangerin says. It also has the ability to tweak formulations to meet customers’ flavor or cost requirements.

“We are open to new ideas, new trials and new runs that others might not be able to accommodate in their own plant,” Wangerin says, noting that he sees this as a service to the industry.

“Our goal is to be the private label packager and product development company of choice,” Meyers adds.

Bella Pak is willing to accept projects that some others won’t take the time to research. If the company’s equipment presently does not have the capabilities that are required for a project, the company stands willing to invest in order to bring new products to market, Meyers says.

One of the reasons the company can be so flexible in trying new things is because it operates batch dryers that can handle specialty blends that larger dryers can’t accommodate.

“If someone wants a Parmesan/Asiago/Romano/Provolone four cheese blend, our dryers can accommodate the mix of products better than continuous dryers, providing better texture and blending of the mixed flavors,” Meyers says.

“It’s a more expensive method of manufacturing,” he adds. “But the quality control is better. We’re able to control the process of blending multiple products. Our size allows us to provide greater service.”

As part of its standard product line, Bella Pak currently offers Parmesan, Asiago, Romano and Cheddar as well as a Parmesan/Swiss/Romano blend. The blend is offered under the company’s Redwood Farms label. The Mondo Vecchio brand also will be introduced in the coming months. The company can package spiced blends as well.

Presently, the company offers product in 3-ounce cans or plastic PET jars as well as 8-ounce and 16-ounce sizes. In addition, it offers a 2.25-pound jar, a 5-pound tub and 50-pound bag in a box.

“We’re always open to exploring other packaging capabilities,” Wangerin adds.

With a wide variety of packaging sizes available, Meyers says the company services all segments of the industry, from retail to foodservice to industrial.

“It’s a mix of all three — diversity is a good thing,” Meyers says, noting, for example, that the company services private label for supermarkets, industrial applications for salad dressings, bakeries, pizza and Italian entrees, as well as foodservice applications.

To get the word out about the company’s capabilities, Bella Pak also will be attending the Private Label Manufacturers Association’s show later this month and is in the midst of hiring a national salesperson, Meyers says.

The variety of products and the company’s willingness to work with customers’ specific needs allows the company a great deal of flexibility.

“We offer prompt deliveries and short turn-around times. We basically bend over backwards to serve our customers’ needs,” Meyers adds.

CMN