Cheese Supplier Showcase: From coast to coast, cheese continues to be big business for dairy marketers

Dairy Foods, Dec, 2001

According to the NPD group, a national marketing research firm, Americans gobble up 2.2 billion grilled cheese sandwiches each year. Surprised? what will really amaze you is how far grilled cheese has come from the traditional two slices of American cheese sandwiched between buttered and pan toasted white bread slices.

Cooks across the country are grilling up custom creations using cheeses such as Pepper Jack and Havarti, and including local add-ins such as andouille sausage, apple slices and even New York strip steak. And this year, the American Dairy Assn. (ADA) asked grilled cheese fans to create great recipes with a hometown twists. More than 1,000 submissions were made, and ADA has made the five winning recipes available to consumers in a brochure entitled "Mr. Food [R]'s Hometown Grilled Cheese. The brochure also includes a grilled cheese sandwich created by Mr. Food.

Here are some grilled cheese statistics from the contest to help cheese marketers decide what varieties are best to sell sliced and promoted for sandwiches. Cheddar cheese appeared in the most entries (35%). American cheese was the runner-up (28%) with Monterey Jack taking third place (23%). The Southern region had the greatest number of entries (23%). Indiana took the: Cheese State" title with the most entries (13%), followed by California (8%) and Washington (6%).

Wisconsin highlights dairy impact

The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) has launched a campaign highlighting the dairy industry's impact on Wisconsin's economy, both currently and historically. The campaign is called "Wisconsin's s Dairy Impact," and includes radio and TV ads, along with four print ads highlighting dairy's impact on the state's current and future economy, landscape, character and workforce. The ads are running in 15 markets, covering more than 50% of the state's households. The campaign kicked off in October and runs through May 2002.

"The dairy industry's vital role in our state's formation is a well-told story, but not as well known is the key role the industry continues to play in our state's economy," says James Robson, CEO of WMMB. "Each year the dairy industry generates $20 billion for the state's economy, no other single product produced in this state creates a greater economic impact than milk."

Here are some facts on Wisconsin's cheese industry, the largest user (about 90%) of Wisconsin milk.

About 99% of the state's 18,000 dairy farms are family-owned. Many have operated using the same family name for generations. The state is home to 211 dairy plants, including 126 cheese-manufacturing facilities. Wisconsin is the No. 1 cheese-producing state, producing more than 2 billion lbs of cheese annually (26% of the country's cheese supply), 90% of which is sold outside the state's borders. The state also is home to 1,290 licensed cheesemakers, more than any other state.

Tillamook dedicates cheese plant

About 600 people joined members of the Tillamook County Creamery Assn. (TCCA) on Sept. 26 to celebrate the opening of TCCA's new satellite plant, Columbia River Processing Inc., Boardman, Ore. The plant began making Tillamook cheese at the end of the summer.

Tillamook and Morrow County community members attending the opening were invited on a walking tour of the new plant, or a bus tour of the dairies that will be supplying milk for cheese production.

"Great pains have been taken to assure that each piece of cheese that comes from this facility is truly made 'the Tillamook Way,'" said Harold Schild, president and CEO of TCCA, and one of several featured speakers at the dedication ceremony. "May this plant continue to always be dedicated to only producing cheddar cheese 'the Tillamook Way.'"

As a wholly owned subsidiary of TCCA, the new plant is 85,000 sq ft, and includes a milk receiving room, quality assurance lab and 30-day cold storage.

California Cheese a Winner

California cows milk cheesemakers claimed an unprecedented 15 first-place awards at the 18th annual American Cheese Society competition in August. The state also received eight second-place and four third-place awards. In all, California won more awards than any other state.

"We are thrilled that California cheesemakers received so many top wins at this year's competition," says Nancy Fletcher, dir. of communications for the California Milk Advisory Board. "This recognition underscores what we've known for a long time--that California is rapidly emerging as the country's leading producer of specialty and artisan cheeses."

California produced 1.5 billion lbs of cheese in 2000.