Local cheese has real link to Europe This month marks the sixteenth anniversary of the opening of specialty cheese manufacturing company Old Europe Cheese, Inc., located on Empire Avenue in Benton Harbor. Manager Francois Capt, a Baroda resident for the past 10 years, remembers arriving at his Benton Harbor hotel with one small suitcase and a head full of ideas for the opening of the new plant. "It was very exciting to be heading the production of a brand new company. The plant was located in an old milk processing facility and there were lots of changes that had to be made to change it to a cheese plant. We installed huge vats and molding machines and started the long process of training employees that had never even seen these kinds of cheese before." Capt was hired to be a part of the team that would launch Reny Picot in the United States. Reny Picot is the brand name of the international corporation Industrias Lacteas Asturianas (ILAS, S.A.), headquartered in Spain and started by Mr. Francisco Rodriguez in March of 1960. Although unknown in America, Reny Picot was already a household name in Spain in 1987, recognized primarily for its high quality butter and cheese. The U.S. market, however, was a mysterious creature and full of possibilities. After all, the 50,000 square foot plant had state of the art equipment and a production manager who had cheese making in his blood. "My father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all cheesemakers in France, and I had come to learn the trade over the course of my life." After a few years of trying different products in the market, Capt finally decided on their signature cheeses: French-style Brie and Camembert. Capt chose to specialize in these cheeses for a number of reasons. First, there were only two other U.S.-based companies making them, so the competition was not as fierce. Second, having been raised in Normandy, France, Capt knew these cheeses very well (the town where Camembert was created is located in Normandy). Last of all, he felt that Americans would appreciate the versatility of the cheese and its mild, buttery flavor. "Brie has become synonymous with entertaining, it looks elegant when served and goes well with a lot of different flavors. I have done many demonstrations in stores and people seem to be attracted to its color, shape and texture. I've had little children tell me that they like it because it tastes just like butter." The enormous growth of the specialty cheese industry during the past decade has helped Old Europe Cheese realize great success. The entire gourmet specialty foods market in the U.S. has demonstrated a compound annual growth rate of 7 percent for several years and passed the $20 billion mark in 2000, according to The U.S. Gourmet Specialty Foods Market, a new report published by Packaged Facts and released by marketresearch.com. This growth is expected to continue, propelling the market to top retail sales of $27 billion in 2005. To keep up with the growth in demand for its cheese, the company has invested in specialized production and packaging equipment, most created exclusively for their applications. Last year they built a new 10,000 sq. ft. cooling and packaging facility at the south end of the plant. They also invest heavily in their employees, each of whom needs very specialized training in order to keep the production, packaging and expedition of hundreds of thousands of cheeses running smoothly and efficiently. "Our employees make this company as successful as it is. The members of our management team work very closely and professionally with each other, which is what makes our company so special. This is a hard working group that knows the risks of food production and the importance of staying true to the craft of cheese making." The amount of cheese produced at the Benton Harbor plant is impressive. In 2002 the company processed 30 million pounds of milk, produced approximately 4.5 million pounds of cheese and, of course, packaged and shipped it. Not all 4.5 millions pounds were Brie, however. The company also has a line of semi-soft cheese: cheeses that are pressed tighter and have less moisture than Brie. Their Gouda, Edam, Fontina and Manchego all have to be aged longer than Brie and are dipped in wax to protect their rinds (Brie and Camembert are coated in flurry, an edible white mold). The company also imports two cheeses "Bleufort and Manchego" from ILAS in Spain. The company distributes most of its cheese across the country, although for the past few years Mexico and Puerto Rico have developed a taste for Old Europe's Brie, Camembert and Edam Balls. The company's success in Mexico is an indication of just how far the appeal of European cheese is spreading, and how the trade agreement between the U.S. and Mexico is giving U.S. companies an advantage over European-based companies whose products are more expensive and have farther to travel. "Our brokers in Mexico have really done an excellent job in developing a taste for our products. Our Bries are fresher when they arrive and therefore have a better flavor and a longer shelf-life." According to Capt, the future of specialty cheese is bright: Consumers are always looking to try new products and are starting to agree with Europeans that high-quality food is worth a little more. "Our company will continue in its mission to bring our customers the very best cheeses possible." Old Europe Cheese, Inc. a subsidiary of ILAS, S.A. 1330 East Empire Avenue Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022 Tel: 269.925.5003 Fax: 269.925.9560