Gibbsville Cheese Reduces Product Loss, Improves Quality with Cheese Packaging Machine

Danielle Ohl

DSC_0271.jpgWisconsin is our home, and home to some of the best cheese in the nation!

It is truly the local cheesemakers who have earned us this reputation. But like many small businesses, they often lack space and the ability to scale up their cheese production, and it's hard to find a packaging machine on the market that can fulfill their specific needs.

Until Viking puts their minds to it, that is! We're sharing with you today the story of one very local (like 9 minutes away from us local) cheesemaker that scaled their growth and minimized product loss from inadequate package seals with a VFFS cheese packaging machine. In fact, this was our first ever custom machine, serial number 1!

Short on time? we know you're busy! Download the Gibbsville Cheese case study and get the full story to read later. >>

Business Background

Gibbsville Cheese factory and retail store got its start over 65 years ago and is currently owned by the fourth generation of the Van Tatenhove family. 

The recent addition of an online store allows customers from across the nation to order and ship their favorite Gibbsville Cheese products. Most popular are their fresh cheese curds, cheese whips, and shredded cheese varieties.

Critical Issues

In 2006, current Gibbsville Cheese owner Phil Van Tatenhove was packaging his cheese products with a tall and cumbersome packaging machine that did not work well within the space he had available.

He also experienced leaky packages, which not only cost money and wasted product but fixing the 'leakers' held up his cheese production line.

Strategy & Solution

Phil immediately knew where to turn for a solution to his cheese packaging problems: Rick Leonhard, trusted packaging expert and owner of the newly founded packaging machine manufacturer Viking Packaging Technologies.

Leonhard learned more about the cheese producer and made his recommendations, leading to the development of Viking's first ever custom packaging machine, serial number 1...

Follow the journey of a local Wisconsin cheese manufacturer as they transition to packaging automation and read about their long-term success with their cheese packaging machine in our Gibbsville Cheese Case Study:

Download Gibbsville Cheese packaging machine case study