Uniting the history, talent and resources of two of America's most experienced blue cheesemakers, Swiss Valley Farms Cooperative, Davenport, Iowa, acquired Faribault Dairy Co., Inc., located in Faribault, Minn., according to an August statement.

The sale includes the ownership of Faribault's Blue cheese manufacturing facility as well as Faribault's line of branded cheeses, including its popular blue cheese Amablu, cave-aged blue cheese.

Don Boelens, CEO of Swiss Valley Farms, said the Faribault facility will allow for an immediate increase in production and serve as an excellent companion operation to Swiss Valley's other Blue cheese plant in Mindoro, Wis. All employees will be retained. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Jeff Jirik, one of the owners of Faribault Dairy, took on the role as vice president, blue cheese division.
Using the resources of Faribault, there are now new opportunities for Swiss Valley to age and distribute cheeses. The first is the use of sandstone caves, currently used by Faribault to age its Amablu brand cheeses. The second is the capability for online orders and shipment of cheeses via cheesecave.net, an online store developed by Faribault to distribute cheeses and cheese gift packages nationwide. The online store also has a brick-and-mortar location.

In other news, Swiss Valley Farms and Emmi-Roth Kase USA announced White Hill Cheese Co., LLC, a joint venture to manufacture cheese in Shullsburg, Wis. The Shullsburg site has been owned by Swiss Valley Farms since 2005 and consists of a 24,000-square- foot cheese manufacturing plant, a 50,000- square-foot warehouse, and a waste-water treatment facility. The joint venture will allow the two entities to increase production of Baby Swiss, No-Salt-Added Swiss and other varieties.

Source: Swiss Valley Farms