Farmer-owned cheese manufacturer with three production facilities across the Midwest
Bongards is a 116-year-old cheese cooperative operating three production plants across Minnesota and Tennessee, producing natural, process, imitation cheese, and whey. The tech stack reflects a traditional manufacturing operation—Excel, Salesforce, UKG, and Rockwell Automation controls—with hiring concentrated heavily in manufacturing and operations roles rather than software or sales, indicating a vertically integrated, supply-chain-focused business model. Active projects center on compliance (GMP, food security, environmental), occupational safety, and product quality management.
Bongards manufactures and supplies cheese to foodservice and food manufacturing customers across North America. The company operates as a farmer-owned cooperative with integrated dairy farms, production facilities in Chanhassen and Perham, Minnesota and Humboldt, Tennessee, and direct control over milk sourcing through its farm network. Product portfolio spans natural cheese, process cheese, imitation cheese, and whey by-products. The company serves customers ranging from regional food manufacturers to national foodservice distributors, positioning itself as a supplier capable of meeting large-volume orders with custom specifications and assured supply continuity.
Bongards operates three production facilities: Chanhassen and Perham in Minnesota, and Humboldt in Tennessee. The company is headquartered in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
Bongards produces natural cheese, process cheese, imitation cheese, and whey. The company manufactures millions of pounds annually and offers custom formulations to customer specifications.
Other companies in the same industry, closest in size