Emmi Roth Brings Swiss Yogurt, Coffee Beverages to the U.S.

Alps, cheese and chocolate are commonly associated with Switzerland. So is the country’s reputation for precision engineering. Just ask anyone who has taken a cable car to the top of a mountain or owns a Swiss watch. A Swiss dairy processor is expanding its presence in the United States by taking precise steps in developing dairy foods, and then executing marketing programs to gain placement on the shelves of grocery stores, with foodservice operators and in specialty food stores.

Emmi, based in Lucerne, Switzerland, is that country’s largest dairy company. Its U.S. subsidiary, Emmi Roth USA is a producer of premium specialty cheeses and dairy products with locations in Orangeburg, N.Y., Monroe, Wis., Penn Yan, N.Y. and Arcata, Calif. In 2009 Emmi purchased Roth Kase, a company whose focus is crafting and curing European-style specialty cheeses made in Wisconsin. With this purchase, the U.S. subsidiary of Emmi became known as Emmi Roth USA. (For more about the Wisconsin cheesemaking operation, see “Authentic Art” in the September 2010 Dairy Foods.)