Gossner Foods

Gossner Foods is a privately held American dairy manufacturer headquartered in Logan, Utah. The company is particularly associated with Swiss cheese and is described as one of the largest Swiss cheese manufacturers in the United States. Its product range extends beyond Swiss varieties to roughly 30 types of cheese, along with ultra-high-temperature, or UHT, shelf-stable milk sold through retail channels and supplied under contract to American military personnel stationed around the world. The business has its roots in the cheesemaking career of Edwin Gossner Sr., a Swiss immigrant who trained in the craft after moving to the United States. Gossner was born in 1909 in the eastern Swiss region of Edliswil-Waldkirch and moved to Burke, Wisconsin, in 1930 to work at his brother's cheese factory. He completed a three-year apprenticeship based on techniques his brother had learned at the Swiss Cheesemaking School in Switzerland, and subsequently took over the Wisconsin operation. After that factory burned in 1937, Gossner moved to California and worked for Rumiano Cheese Company. In 1941, he established a cheese factory in Utah's Cache Valley. The location offered a climate and elevation that he considered comparable to Switzerland, as well as access to local milk supplies. The operation expanded rapidly. By 1946, the factory was reported to be the world's largest Swiss cheese factory, producing approximately 120 wheels weighing 200 pounds each per day. In 1966, Gossner founded the current Gossner Foods company. Gossner's business model remains rooted in regional milk procurement and large-scale dairy processing. The company buys milk from approximately 300 farm families across Utah and Idaho. Its principal manufacturing base is in Logan, with a second plant in Heyburn, Idaho. The company has been reported to employ more than 600 people. This regional supply network supports both traditional cheese production and shelf-stable milk processing, allowing the business to serve ordinary retail customers as well as institutional and military buyers. The brand's positioning combines Swiss cheesemaking heritage with practical, scalable dairy manufacturing. Swiss cheese is its signature category, but the broader portfolio gives Gossner Foods a presence across multiple cheese styles and formats. UHT milk adds a distinct shelf-stable capability, especially relevant to long-distance distribution, emergency or strategic stock, and military logistics. As of 2018, Kristan Jo Earl was identified as the company's chief executive officer. Publicly available reference material does not establish a more recent executive change, ownership structure, sales figure, or stock-market listing.

Gossner Foods developed from the Swiss cheesemaking career of Edwin Gossner Sr. Born in 1909 in the eastern Swiss region of Edliswil-Waldkirch, Gossner moved to Burke, Wisconsin, in 1930. He joined his brother's cheese factory and spent three years learning cheesemaking methods associated with the Swiss Cheesemaking School in Switzerland. After completing his apprenticeship, he took over the factory. A fire destroyed that operation in 1937. Gossner then relocated to California, where he worked for Rumiano Cheese Company. Four years later, he moved again, this time to Cache Valley in Utah, and opened a cheese factory in 1941. The area was selected for both environmental and commercial reasons: its elevation and climate resembled conditions in Switzerland, while nearby dairy farms provided a dependable milk supply. The Utah factory expanded quickly and became a major Swiss cheese producer. By 1946, it was described as the largest Swiss cheese factory in the world, with daily production of about 120 cheese wheels weighing 200 pounds each. This early scale established the company's enduring identity as a substantial producer rather than a small specialty cheesemaker. In 1966, Edwin Gossner founded the present Gossner Foods company. Over time, the business broadened its dairy portfolio from Swiss cheese to approximately 30 types of cheese. It also developed UHT milk production. Unlike conventional refrigerated milk, UHT milk is processed so that it can remain shelf-stable before opening, making it suitable for retail distribution over longer distances and for customers operating without immediate access to refrigerated supply chains. Gossner Foods subsequently became a supplier of UHT milk to the United States military, with a contract covering American troops stationed around the world. This institutional business complemented its retail operations and gave the company a role in supplying dairy products to geographically dispersed customers. The company is based in Logan, Utah, and has a second production facility in Heyburn, Idaho. Its procurement network includes approximately 300 farm families in Utah and Idaho, tying the manufacturer to the dairy economy of the Intermountain West. Reference material has reported a workforce of more than 600 people. As of 2018, Kristan Jo Earl was identified as chief executive officer. Available reference material does not provide a verified current ownership structure, revenue history, public listing, or subsequent leadership timeline.

• 2018

  Kristan Jo Earl identified as CEO

  [1]Gossner Foodsen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material identified Kristan Jo Earl as chief executive officer as of 2018.

• 1966

  Gossner Foods is founded

  [1]Gossner Foodsen.wikipedia.org

  Edwin Gossner founded the current Gossner Foods company.

• 1946

  Utah operation reaches leading Swiss cheese scale

  [1]Gossner Foodsen.wikipedia.org

  The factory was reported to be the world's largest Swiss cheese factory, producing approximately 120 200-pound wheels per day.

• 1941

  Cache Valley cheese factory opens

  [1]Gossner Foodsen.wikipedia.org

  Gossner established a cheese factory in Utah's Cache Valley, chosen for its Swiss-like climate and elevation and its access to local milk.

• 1937

  Wisconsin factory destroyed by fire

  [1]Gossner Foodsen.wikipedia.org

  The cheese factory operated by Gossner was destroyed by fire, prompting his move to California and subsequent work at Rumiano Cheese Company.

• 1930

  Edwin Gossner moves to the United States

  [1]Gossner Foodsen.wikipedia.org

  Swiss-born Edwin Gossner Sr. moved to Burke, Wisconsin, where he began working in his brother's cheese factory and undertook formal practical training in Swiss cheesemaking methods.

A regional American dairy manufacturer built around Swiss cheesemaking heritage, broad cheese production, locally sourced milk, and shelf-stable UHT milk for retail and military distribution.

• Cheese · 1941

  Swiss cheese

  Swiss cheese is Gossner Foods' signature product category and the foundation of its historical identity. The company traces its production heritage to Swiss-trained cheesemaking techniques brought to the United States by founder Edwin Gossner Sr. Its Utah operation became a major Swiss cheese factory during the 1940s and remains associated with large-scale production of Swiss-style cheese.

• Cheese

  Other cheese varieties

  In addition to Swiss cheese, Gossner Foods produces a wider portfolio said to include approximately 30 types of cheese. The available reference material does not enumerate every variety or provide a complete product catalog, but the broader range allows the company to serve retail customers beyond its best-known Swiss specialty.

• Milk

  UHT shelf-stable milk

  Gossner Foods produces ultra-high-temperature milk designed for shelf-stable retail sale before opening. The format supports distribution beyond conventional refrigerated channels and is also used in the company's military supply business. Gossner holds a contract to provide UHT milk to American troops stationed around the world.

1. 1Gossner Foodsen.wikipedia.org