Making cheese without any automation is a back-breaking, tiring job with a lot of stooping, stirring, manual washing of hoops and so on. When it comes to automation, “zero is not a hero,” for Master Cheesemaker Chris Renard and the team who handle production and packaging for Renard’s Cheese factory in Algoma, Wis.
There’s been zero automation for more than 60 years, and while that has not kept Renard’s from churning out 3 million pounds annually of its award-winning aged, hard and soft specialty cheese like its New World Cheddar, Terrific Trio and flavored cheeses like Farmer’s Pesto, Cherry Cheddar and 75 SKUs, the new $30 million plant due to be completed by the end of 2026 will be vital to Renard’s Cheese’s modernization and success.