February 8, 2008
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CHEESE VARIETY — Guggisberg Cheese, located in Ohio in the heart of Amish country, is known for its Baby Swiss, Swiss and related varieties of cheese.

By Kate Sander

MILLERSBURG, Ohio — Many companies make some type of Baby Swiss cheese, but only one — Guggisberg Cheese Inc. — claims to have the original.

Guggisberg Cheese’s Original Baby Swiss, which the company describes as having a “delightfully creamy, mild taste” was developed by company founder Alfred Guggisberg in the late 1950s and named by his wife, Margaret, because she said the small holes in the new cheese made it look like an offspring of the comparatively large-holed and much larger-wheeled Swiss the company also makes.

Their son, Richard, who today is president of the company, says that really Swiss and Baby Swiss don’t have a whole lot in common other than their names and their holes. His father had hoped to make a cheese that would be more acceptable to the American palate, and would appeal to young and old alike.

Apparently he did, because the new cheese was soon a local hit and then word began to spread throughout the region about the cheese.

Today, many companies have a product called Baby Swiss, Richard Guggisberg says, but there is no standard of identity for the cheese and quality and style can vary by quite a bit.

Guggisberg Cheese is the company that markets the cheese as the original, and no company has ever been able to exactly copy Guggisberg Cheese’s successful formula, he says.

The fact there are so many variations of Baby Swiss on the market tends to be somewhat damaging for the product’s reputation, he says. But the fact that the Guggisberg Cheese sells the original is an important selling point.

“Get it into the consumer’s mouth, and we’ve got them,” says Guggisberg, who grew up making cheese and learning skills from his father.

Today, sales volume is split fairly evenly between the company’s Baby Swiss and traditional Swiss. The company, which operates two plants — one in Millersburg, Ohio, and the other in nearby Sugarcreek — produces seven varieties of cheeses: Baby Swiss, Premium Swiss, Premium Sharp Swiss, Swiss Lace, Lucerne, Amish Butter and Farmers.

The company’s Premium Swiss Cheese, known for its pleasantly mild, slight nutty flavor, placed first in the World Dairy Expo dairy product contest’s Swiss cheese class this past fall.

• Company enhanced by a rich culture, yesterday and today

Located in the heart of Amish country with rich pastures for grazing, Guggisberg Cheese benefits from a steady stream of tourists as well as a steady milk supply from Amish farmers and others.

In fact, it was the promise of cheesemaking potential that lured Alfred Guggisberg to Ohio in the late 1940s.

Alfred Guggisberg, at the age of 16, had started learning the art of cheesemaking in the Swiss Alps. He attended the famous Swiss Federal “Molkereishulle” or cheesemaker’s institute and made cheese throughout Europe for a number of years.

Looking for a new challenge, he moved to the United States in 1947, a year ahead of his family.

After Alfred moved to Ohio, it became apparent that he was an excellent cheesemaker, his son says. As a result, local Amish farmers in search of a cheesemaker to provide a market for their milk hired him to operate the Doughty Valley Cheese Co. Doughty Valley Cheese went on to become what we know today as Guggisberg Cheese Inc.

It was later, as the business became more established, that Alfred began experimenting with the Baby Swiss that would become the company’s signature item.

The company has benefited not only from the foundation that the Amish farmers provided, but also in the ongoing tourism the area experiences.

“The tourists and visitors to Amish country have been instrumental in helping us gain distribution and customers in new markets,” says Ray Kohl, who handles sales and marketing for the company. “The Guggisberg plant and retail store is one of the most popular tourist stops in Holmes County. After sampling Guggisberg Baby Swiss they ask their local supermarkets or cheese stores to stock our products so they can purchase it regularly in their home markets.”

In addition to offering Guggisberg’s own cheese, the retail store offers other companies’ cheese, totaling 60 varieties of cheeses to choose from at the store along with other assorted meats, candy, jams, jellies and Guggisberg souvenirs.

In addition, the company operates a restaurant, The Chalet in the Valley, where visitors can enjoy Swiss, Austrian and Amish cuisine.

The retail portion of the Guggisberg complex was historically overseen by Richard’s mother, Margaret. His father Alfred has passed away, but Margaret is still active in the business.

Also of benefit to the company is that it is located in a state known for its Swiss immigrants and cheese production; each year there is the Ohio Swiss cheese championship series of contests and Guggisberg Cheese has always done well in these.

“The Guggisberg family has been making Swiss varieties of cheese in the United States for more than 50 years, so we are a well-known brand in the Midwest where our cheese is primarily sold and marketed,” Kohl says. “Guggisberg Swiss and Baby Swiss have won many cheese competitions and the media coverage and publicity have given us national recognition and exposure.”

• Continuing to grow into the future

Kohl says the future is bright for Guggisberg Cheese.

“Most people think of Guggisberg as a small regional manufacturer and marketer but we are a much larger company and our cheese is sold in virtually every state either under the Guggisberg label, corporate brands or other cheese manufacturers’ labels,” he says.

Richard Guggisberg took over the family business in 1985, and as part of his desire to keep the cheese business growing, purchased a second plant in 1996.

Over the years, there have been a number of changes in how the company does business, but the company is willing and able to adjust according to market needs.

For example, as consumers and retailers have become more concerned about food safety, Guggisberg Cheese has focused more and more attention on food safety programs and audits, successfully completing some of the toughest audits in the country, Guggisberg says.

The company also remains consumer-driven, offering products that it believes consumers are looking for, such as its recently-introduced grassfed Baby Swiss produced with the milk of local grazers.

The company’s portfolio includes high volume cheese and organic as well as grass-fed, Kohl notes. All of its cheese are available in bulk for chunking or slicing, pre-cut chunks or wedges and shingle sliced.

According to Kohl, 45 percent of the company’s total production is sold under the Guggisberg label, 30 percent under corporate brands and private labels, and 25 percent goes to cheese manufacturers and cutters.

The greater percentage of Guggisberg Cheese is sold through retail service delis, cheese shops and cheese stores.

“We are a dynamically growing company,” Guggisberg adds. “We have had 10 percent sales growth over each of the last 10 years. We have a successful format to continue to grow.”

CMN