About Us

Really, this page should be called “FAMILY.”

We’re proud that Sartori is a fourth-generation family owned and operated company in the great American tradition. But we’re prouder still of the family feeling that runs throughout the entire company every day. From our leadership and artisan cheese expertise, to our cheesemakers, to our network of patron farmers, we share a deep sense of connection to one another and the land. Even the cows are in on it. And now, you are too.

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1939	Paolo Sartori and Louis Rossini cofound S&R Cheese Corp. in Plymouth, Wisconsin.
1942	Paolo Sartori receives his first U.S. patent for "Cheese Curd Machine."
1946	Paolo Sartori receives another patent for "Curd Mixing and Kneading Machine."
1953	Joe Sartori and Leonard Gentine, next door neighbors, cofound Sargento. (Joe later sold his interest.)
1957	Paolo Sartori donates money to construct home for the elderly in his hometown of Valdastico, Italy.
1970	Sartori is first U.S. exporter of cheese to Italy and Japan.
1985	Sartori pioneers freshly grated, all-natural Parmesan cheese with longer shelf life.
1986	Jim Sartori accepts the company reins from his father, Joe Sartori.
1996	Name changes from S&R Cheese Corp. to Sartori Foods.
1998	Sartori Foundation established to honor the passing of Joe Sartori.
1999	Bella is born. Sartori BellaVitano® cheese is introduced.
2005	Sartori acquires Linden Cheese Co. of Linden, Wisconsin, specializing in blue-veined and surface-ripened cheeses.
2006	Antigo Cheese Co., Antigo, Wisconsin, and Blackfoot Cheese Co., Blackfoot, Idaho, purchased by Sartori Foods.
2006	SarVecchio® Parmesan featured in Businessweek article for "…Products that Rival Europe’s Best."
2007	Sartori expands into retail markets and delis.
2007	Jim Sartori wins the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
2009	Jeff Schwager hired as president. Jim Sartori becomes CEO.
2010	Sartori Foods wins 100th award for Sartori Reserve® cheese.
2010	Sartori acquires Tellory, a leading maker of all natural premium pestos, dips, and spreads, based in Boulder, Colorado.
2011	Sartori Foods renamed Sartori Company.
2011	With beautiful new packaging, Sartori launches its Classic, Reserve and Limited Edition retail collection.

Sartori Family Crest

Our family crest nods to the people, places and experiences that define us. The ship icon refers to The Finlandia, the steamer that carried our founder Paolo Sartori to America, where he would later achieve his own American Dream, starting in 1939 when he started the company. The cows are an acknowledgement of our farm-to-fork ethos and of the special relationships we have with our family farmers, many of whom have supplied us milk for several generations. We also have an image of the state of Wisconsin, not just because it is the source of the finest cheese anywhere, but because it is our home that has shaped us as much as anything else. Finally, our crest is topped by a crown – which represents our aspiration to make the best cheese in the world – to which we just added a 4th star since the latest generation of the Sartori family just recently joined the business.