Masters Gallery Foods, a national supplier of cheese for private label retail, food service and industrial use, announced its purchase of the Rumiano Cheese Company's converting and distribution facilities in Willows, Calif. Rumiano Cheese Company is the oldest family-owned cheesemaker in California, dedicated to the manufacturing, packaging and distribution of cheese, butter, and value-added products. The current facility was newly constructed in 2021.
Masters Gallery Foods says that Rumiano's Northern California location will enable it to service customers on the West Coast without the added freight costs associated with shipping products to and from Wisconsin.
"This is an exciting opportunity for Masters Gallery Foods and our customers. We are committed to advancing the Willows operation, as originally envisioned by the Rumiano Family, and building upon the legacy of what has been established here since 1919," says Jeff Gentine, Masters Gallery Foods' second-generation President and CEO. "Our goal is to use this facility as a platform for Western growth, while positively impacting the city of Willows and the nearly 200 employees we now welcome into the Masters Gallery family."
"After more than a century of family ownership, we're proud to join forces with another family-owned business that truly respects what we've built at Rumiano Cheese. The team at Masters Gallery Foods shares our values, understands our story, and is committed to carrying our mission forward," says John Rumiano, Owner of Rumiano Cheese Company. "This next chapter enables us to really scale our impact while creating exciting opportunities for our team members, the Willows community, and the customers we've been honored to serve."
Masters Gallery Foods will operate the converting and distribution division of Rumiano Cheese Company in Willows, Calif., and Sartori Cheese, a fourth-generation artisan cheese company, purchased Rumiano's cheesemaking facility in Crescent City, Calif., and it will market the Rumiano Family Organics brand.
