Which city is known as the cheese capital of the world?

Learn why Plymouth, Wisconsin, is the cheese capital of the world. Explore its history, major companies, and role in global cheese production and pricing.

Plymouth, Wisconsin, is officially the cheese capital of the world. This little city in Sheboygan County was named so due to a century of leadership in industry. It is an international cheese processing, cold storage and domestic distribution hub. Such is the dominance that around 15% of all the cheese eaten in the United States transits through Plymouth somewhere along the distribution chain at some point of time.

Cheese Capital of the World: Key Facts at a Glance

Plymouth, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, USA

Cheese Capital of the World

Cheese processing, packaging, and distribution

Plymouth Wisconsin

Former home of the Wisconsin Cheese Exchange

Sargento Foods Inc., Sartori Company, Great Lakes Cheese

Covers approximately 25% of US cheese production

Why is Plymouth the Cheese Capital of the World?

The cheese capital of the world is Plymouth, Wisconsin, because of the historic location of the Wisconsin Cheese Exchange, which established national prices of cheese over decades. Today the city is a formidable power in cheese production and distribution.

It is also home to the headquarters of international giants such as Sargento Foods Inc. and exports large quantities of dairy products to other countries. The title of cheese capital of world is attributed to Plymouth due to its special infrastructure in dairy logistics. The city is not only a cheese-maker. It deals in the finishing of cheese. This finishing is a process that encompasses aging, shredding, packaging and shipping.

The geography of the area has been crucial in its development. The farm land nearby yielded large amounts of milk in the late 19th century. Local businesspersons constructed special warehouses to store and age cheese. These plants enabled Plymouth to form a hub of thousands of smaller plants throughout Wisconsin.

Plymouth the Cheese Capital

History of the Wisconsin Cheese Exchange

The greatest institution in the history of the city was the Wisconsin Cheese Exchange. It started in 1918 when traders purchased and sold bulk cheese. The prices determined during this exchange became the norm in the whole of the United States.

In 1946, the organization changed its name to the National Cheese Exchange. It stayed in Plymouth until 1997. Under its rule, Plymouth was turned into the financial centre of the dairy business. Plymouth was closely monitored by traders all over the country to establish the prices of their products. The major price-discovery mechanism used in the US to determine cheese price in the 20th century was the National Cheese Exchange.

Major Cheese Companies Based in Plymouth

A number of billion dollar companies have their headquarters or significant operations in Plymouth. Their presence makes the city the industry leader in the 21st century.

Sargento Foods Inc.: This was the first company to sell pre-shredded cheese. It is a privately owned corporation and one of the largest in the United States.

Sartori Company: It is a company that produces award-winning products such as high quality specialty cheeses such as BellaVitano.

Great Lakes Cheese: This company has one of the largest and most technologically advanced packaging plants in the country that is located in Plymouth.

Cheese Exchange

Masters Gallery Foods: One of the largest distributors of grocery store and restaurant own-labeled cheese.

The existence of these companies makes this location densely populated with dairy scientists, logistics specialists and master cheesemakers.

What is the economic contribution of the cheese industry?

The local economy is mainly based on the cheese industry. It offers manufacturing, chemistry and transportation jobs to thousands. Outside of the city, Plymouth serves the larger Wisconsin dairy industry. More than 25% of all cheese in the United States is produced in Wisconsin, and Plymouth is the center of cheese production. This industry adds more than 43 billion dollars to the economy of the state.

Plymouth has been further enhanced by the use of modern technology. The city has modern climate controlled warehouses capable of storing millions of pounds of cheese at specific temperatures. This enables the world market to have a consistent supply of aged goods all year round.

In 1997, when the National Cheese Exchange was closed, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) replaced the cheese price discovery. Plymouth continues to be a physical distribution centre but no longer carries the trading floor.

A combination of historical trade and modern industrial might has made Plymouth, Wisconsin, the cheese capital of the world. It has been the most significant logistical hub in the dairy industry up to the present times due to hosting the National Cheese Exchange and other international brands such as Sargento.

National Cheese Exchange

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Which City is Known as the City of Cheesecake?

Cheese Capital of the World: Key Facts at a Glance

Putting it in context

Recipes in this corner of the kitchen are rarely secret so much as precise, and precision is what makes them repeatable.

Key takeaways

• Learn why Plymouth, Wisconsin, is the cheese capital of the world
• Plymouth, Wisconsin, is officially the cheese capital of the world
• The cheese capital of the world is Plymouth, Wisconsin
• The geography of the area has been crucial in its development
• The greatest institution in the history of the city was the Wisconsin Cheese Exchange

By the numbers

• It started in 1918 when traders purchased and sold bulk cheese
• In 1946, the organization changed its name to the National Cheese Exchange
• It stayed in Plymouth until 1997
• In 1997, when the National Cheese Exchange was closed, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) replaced the cheese price discovery

Questions worth asking

What should you know about Cheese Exchange?

The cheese capital of the world is Plymouth, Wisconsin, because of the historic location of the Wisconsin Cheese Exchange, which established national prices of cheese over decades.

What happens next?

The title of cheese capital of world is attributed to Plymouth due to its special infrastructure in dairy logistics.

The bottom line

None of this settles the wider question. It does make one thing harder to ignore: the pressure in the bakery case has shifted, and others will have to respond to it.