True to cheese-making

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: May 18, 2016 - Business feature

True to cheese-making

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars makes room for more

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

THERESA — People from 21 states and two countries have visited Widmer’s Cheese Cellars in this quaint village in the northeast corner of Dodge County.

That’s in the last seven months.

To keep up with growing demand — and popularity — Widmer’s recently finished a 4,000-square-foot expansion project to bring its total space to nearly 20,000 square feet, adding to its packaging and cold storage facilities.

“We realized that we were running out of room, our sales were increasing,” said Joey Widmer, one of the plant’s cheesemakers and fourth-generation Widmer to put his hands into the cheese-making practice.

“There was a need for the extra space, especially during Christmas time,” he added.

On the corner of Henni and Wisconsin streets off the north-south drag through town — Highway 175 — in a community of less than 1,300 people, Widmer’s has handcrafted its cheese since Day 1.

That day was in 1922 when John O. Widmer came to the United States from Switzerland. He bought a vacant building that occupies today’s cheese factory.

Four generations have maintained the family tradition in the art of cheese-making, which includes Widmer’s grandson and Joey’s father, Joe, who is graced with the title of Wisconsin Master Cheese Maker.

The tradition is what entices people from around the world to come to this place year after year, and often doing so more than once.

“It puts Theresa on the map,” said Susan Fink, village of Theresa deputy clerk.

“That’s why people stop (in Theresa). ... It adds to the charm of Theresa.”

In April, Widmer’s was named a top 10 Tasting Tour for Cheddar Lovers in the United States by USA Today.

“They must be doing something right,” Fink said.

Widmer’s produces several cheeses, including Wisconsin brick and colby cheese, both invented in Wisconsin in the 1870s. It also produces cheddar cheese from mild to extremely sharp.

It’s tradition that’s kept Widmer’s running through every possible obstacle in nearly 100 years of business and economic ebbs and flows.

“We’ve been doing the same thing for almost 100 years,” Joey said. “We haven’t (changed) the process at all.”

That approach was what John O. Widmer held dear to his heart as the most important aspect of his new business in the early 1920s.

Over the years, the Internet and mail have helped spread the word with orders and advertising around the world.

“Willpower and determination,” Joey said when asked what got the company going and sustained it.

He never met his grandfather or great-grandfather. But he knows their reputation in the plant’s early days.

“I heard that my great-grandfather was a hard-nosed guy, very determined,” Joey said. “He knew what he wanted.”

This year, citizens from 14 states have opened the double glass door to the gift shop and entered the facility. Also this year, Widmer’s had visitors from Thailand.

“It makes us proud,” Joey said.

Once through the doors, patrons are greeted with a stiff smell of cheese and they see the plant’s operation. There are no windows, no walls. It’s in clear sight.

“You can’t see that anywhere else,” Joey said.

Widmer’s employs anywhere from 15-20 people, depending on the time of year. Of those 15-20 people, five are fulltime cheesemakers.

The holidays, such as Christmas, are the busiest. And preparation for the holidays has started.

“We’ve changed with the times, but also remained true to the product that you make,” Joey said. “Not tweaking how you make the product, making small adjustments.”

In 2004, Widmer’s expanded to add office space and a break area, among other additions. But in that expansion, they noticed they had room to expand further.

In 2014, the talks of more expansion ramped up.

On average, they store cheese as old as 10 years — so it backs up quickly.

“My dad said as soon as he got done building it in 2004, he realized he probably could’ve built on more than he had,” Joey said. “But you can’t see ahead of time on how sales are going to increase or anything like that.”

So that’s what they did. They expanded.

Now, they believe they’ve reached the limit as far as expansion on the plant. The only potential expansion remaining — and it is being considered — is to the gift shop and visitor’s entrance.

Otherwise, the facility is landlocked.

“If we hadn’t expanded, it would’ve created issues here,” Joey said.

At the same time, it’s a nice problem to have.

“It’s wonderful, especially with businesses closing left and right,” Fink said about Widmer’s expansion. “It’s wonderful in a questionable economy.”

It’s survived plenty of tests over the years. It’s ready to survive more.

“We must be doing something right,” Joey said.

It shows after a bite into a slice or curd of handmade cheese.

“It must be in the cheese,” Fink said.

Reach sports editor Nicholas Dettmann at ndettmann@conleynet.com.