Idyllic Crescent City, Calif., is known for being the gateway to Redwood National and State Parks, where some of the oldest trees in the United States live. But the small town, which hugs the Pacific Ocean right by the Oregon border, has another claim to fame. It is home to Rumiano Cheese Co.’s plant, which produces award-winning organic and conventional cheeses, along with whey protein concentrate (WPC-80%), dried edible lactose and European-style butter.
Rumiano Cheese bought the now 25,000-square-foot plant in a period of company expansion during World War II (see the Processor Profile). After the military no longer required processed cheese production, Rumiano Cheese closed several facilities, but held on to its Crescent City plant (along with one other in Willows, Calif., where the company is headquartered and also runs its packaging operations). Today, it remains one of the town’s largest employers.