Swiss Valley Farms and Emmi-Roth Käse USA joined forces to create White Hill Cheese Co., LLC, a joint venture that will allow the two entities to increase production of Baby Swiss, No-Salt-Added Swiss and other varieties. The new company will reside in a Shullsburg, Wis., facility, which has been owned by Swiss Valley Farms since 2005 and consists of a 24,000-square-feet cheese manufacturing plant, a 50,000-square-feet warehouse and a wastewater treatment facility and allows for additional cheese storage capacity. 

“We are very excited about this partnership because it will allow us to respond to growing consumer demand for Swiss cheeses,” said Don Boelens, chief executive officer of Dubuque, Iowa-based Swiss Valley Farms. 

“This new joint venture allows us to dedicate an entire plant to Swiss cheese production. It also will allow us to more fully utilize our Monroe cheese factory to produce Gruyere and other specialties,” said Jim Natzke, vice president of operations for Emmi-Roth Käse USA, headquartered in Monroe, Wis.

Capital improvements at the site are underway, and cheese production is expected to begin in February 2011. The new plant is expected to employ about 30 people.