Biery Cheese Co. of Louisville has survived The Depression, the market fluctuations brought on by World War II and the emergence of some heavy competition, most notably Philip Morris subsidiary Kraft Inc.
Now in its third generation of Biery family ownership, the company continues to grow, posting sales last year of more than $40 million.
The Louisville facility now employs 120, a number that has grow about 30 percent over the last five years, says President Dennis Biery.
Biery, 59, attributes the company’s recent growth to innovation in packaging. He says that two years ago, Biery Cheese started offering sliced cheese products in resealable zipper pouches, which are manufactured by a machine in the facility. The process took about five years of development, he says.
The majority of Biery Cheese’s business is in the private-label line. Biery packages private-label cheese for Fisher Foods, Kroger Co., Big Bear and some Tops stores.
“Grocery stores have focused on their private labels over the last five years,” Biery says. “You can go to any store and get Kraft, but you can only go to Fishers to get the Fisher brand.”
Biery Cheese also distinguishes itself from its competition by offering its customers a short response time.
“We’ll have customers call in here on Thursday; we’ll package the cheese Thursday night or Friday morning, load it on the truck Saturday, and it will be in Washington, D.C., Monday morning,” says Biery. “Our competitors take up to two weeks. So our customers can keep their inventories lower, and manage their business better.”
Biery is a custom packager of all-natural cheese and a manufacturer of processed cheese. The company contracts with 20 suppliers nationally for the natural cheese it uses in its production facility.
Biery sells its cheese in all 50 states, but concentrates more heavily in the Eastern and Midwest states. It sells to retail warehouses, institutional warehouses, food service warehouses and grocery chains.
How to reach: Biery Cheese Co., (330) 875-3381
Connie Swenson
