“We are doing this because we believe in our people, the ones who have made Great Lakes Cheese successful.” – John Epprecht
A major employer in Geauga County is doubling its size and adding a new corporate headquarters in Troy Township.
That was the announcement company officials made during a May 15 groundbreaking ceremony attended by county and local officials, corporate representatives and employees.
“We feel we’re in this together,” said Kurt Epprecht, vice president of cheese quality at Great Lakes Cheese, a company founded by his father, Hans, 65 years ago.
President and CEO Dan Zagzebski said the cheese manufacturer and packaging company, which began as a small food stand in Cleveland, has grown to become one of the largest cheese manufacturing and packaging facilities in the world, with eight facilities and 3,100 employees, 750 of them at the corporate headquarters in Troy Township.
“Just imagine,” Zagzebski told the crowd of about 200 during the half hour ceremony. He traced the company’s history through its beginnings in 1958, its move from Cleveland to Newbury Township in 1963, its expansion to its current 300,000-square campus in Troy in 1998, its seven other facilities across the United States, and the company’s current plans to double the size of its main campus, with construction to begin this summer.
“Why Geauga County, Ohio?” Kurt asked. “If Ohio is the heart of the country, we think Geauga is the heart of Ohio. We first chose Newbury because it was the midpoint between Cleveland and Middlefield. We have Interstate 90 to the north and (Interstate) 80 to the south.”
Zagzebski said Hans Epprecht emigrated from Switzerland to the United States at the age of 18. He learned the cheese business, worked hard, raised a family and built his business on integrity and treating employees well.
“He left a legacy of excellence,” he told the audience.
Kurt said his father was best friends with another Swiss immigrant, Hans Rothenbuhler, founder of Middlefield Cheese. When federal refrigeration regulations made it impossible for Amish farmers in the area to sell their milk that hadn’t been stored according to federal standards, Rothenbuhler used the milk to make Swiss cheese, becoming one of the leading manufacturers in the country.
Great Lakes Cheese was formed to manufacture and package cheese.
“In 60 years, we never planned for Great Lakes Cheese to grow so big,” Kurt said. “And now there are four generations of our family carrying it on.”
Kurt said that he and his siblings attended Berkshire High School and grew up eating Swiss Cheese-on-a-stick at The Great Geauga County Fair.
“We never thought our company would be at the international level,” he explained. “Our plan was always to work hard, focus on quality, do the right thing and treat our employees well.”
Tracy Jemison, representing Geauga Growth Partnership, praised the Epprecht and Rothenbuhler families for beginning an industry that has grown to become a major employer in Geauga County.
“It was the friendship of two Swiss immigrant cheese makers, starting at Brewster Cheese, to become the largest locally owned company in Geauga County,” Jemison said. “We are proud that you call Geauga County home.”
“This is the largest capital investment we’ve ever made,” said John Epprecht, the company’s vice president of strategic projects. “We are doing this because we believe in our people, the ones who have made Great Lakes Cheese successful.”
Geauga County Commissioner Jim Dvorak told the Geauga County Maple Leaf, “This is a great day for Geauga County with this expansion of Great Lakes Cheese. It will create jobs for the county and will help our local businesses.”
Troy Township Trustee Gerald Mitchell added, “This is a great benefit to Troy Township and all of Geauga County.”
