On Monday, August 19, I was “hired” by Klondike Cheese Company just outside of Monroe, Wisconsin. “Hire Howard” is when I job shadow a local business, getting hands-on experience and learning about the unique challenges and opportunities a job sector presents.
Klondike Cheese is a fourth generation family owned business that was started in a 40x60 square foot facility back in 1925. Today, five 4th generation members of the family are working at the company and it has grown to be the second largest producer of feta cheese in the nation.
Feta is not the only type of cheese they make at Klondike. They also produce Muenster, Brick, Havarti and Gouda cheeses under the Buholzer Brothers brand. In addition to the cheeses produced at Klondike, they have also expanded into Greek yogurts under the Odyssey brand. Klondike also contracts with about 60 private label companies to make products from bulk yogurt orders to tzatziki sauces to other feta brands.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the dairy industry contributes $45.6 billion to Wisconsin’s economy each year. Our state’s nearly 1,200 licensed cheesemakers produce over 600 varieties of cheese. In 2023, Wisconsin produced 3.51 billion pounds of cheese, which was 25% of the nation’s cheese.
During my morning at Klondike, I helped with the making and packaging of the feta cheese. Klondike was innovative and first started producing feta cheese back in 1988 and added their first coagulator in 2000. Today, feta has become extremely popular and it’s all they can do to keep up with demand. They produce about 150,000 pounds of feta each day. We watched as the milk made its way through the coagulator and gets cut into curd. Then when the blocks were ready for packaging, I put on some gloves and helped stack them on the conveyer belt to be cut into 8 oz. chunks for sale at retail under the Odyssey label.
Klondike employs approximately 270 people from as far away as Darlington and Freeport, IL. While there is a lot of automation that has been added to the cheese making process, Klondike has never added automation in order to reduce workforce. In fact, they have the most employees they have ever had. More automation allows them to produce more product and actually makes what was once very physical jobs a lot safer. It also opens up opportunities to workers that might not be able to do the old physical tasks.
All of the cheese and other dairy products that our state produces requires a lot of milk. Luckily, Wisconsin has the dairy farms to be able to provide this necessary resource to our cheesemakers. Approximately 90% of the milk produced in Wisconsin goes to our cheesemakers and 90% of the cheese they produce gets sold out of state. In fact, Klondike gets their milk from farms within a 30 mile radius, providing a market to help support our local dairy farmers. In order to make all the products they do, they take in approximately 1.7 million pounds of milk per day.
With agriculture as such an important industry to the state and to our region, it’s exciting to visit a company like Klondike — a fourth generation family run business that continues to innovate and expand and sees more growth on the horizon. I appreciate the impact that they have on their surrounding communities and enjoyed learning about their business.
As always, if you need assistance with any state-related matters, please call our team at the State Capitol — 608-266-0703 — or email me — Sen.Marklein@legis.wisconsin.gov. My team is ready, and willing, to help navigate your state government, clear obstacles, and receive your input.
Marklein Receives “2023-2024 Friend of Towns” Award
Sen. Howard Marklein was awarded the “2023-24 Friend of Towns” Award by the Wisconsin Towns Association at the Green County Towns Association Unit meeting in Monroe on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.
Joe Ruth, Government Affairs Director for the Wisconsin Towns Association, presented this prestigious award to Senator Marklein for his work supporting town governments and the citizens they represent.
“I am honored to receive the “Friend of Towns” Award for the fourth time since I was elected to the State Senate,” Marklein said. “I was proud to lead the effort in the state legislature to support initiatives such as the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP) and the Local Roads Improvement Program (LRIP), which will provide significant resources for towns to maintain and upgrade our local roads and bridges.”
“I’m glad to be someone that town governments and residents can count on in the legislature. I look forward to continuing to be a strong advocate for our towns in the future.”
Senate Messenger Applications Open
The Senate Sergeant at Arms office is currently accepting applications for limited term employee (LTE) Senate Messenger positions. The primary responsibilities of a messenger include responding to a Senator’s requests during senate floor sessions and senate committee hearings at the State Capitol and throughout the State. Assisting members of the public, and responding to requests from offices for messengers to run errands in the Capitol.
If you or someone you know may be interested, please encourage them to apply online at: https://legis.wisconsin.gov/ssgt/senate-messenger-menu/messenger-application/.
Senate messengers must be 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or an equivalent combination of training and experience. An application, accompanied by a resume, must be completed and returned to the Senate Sergeant at Arms Office. Messengers work under the directions given them by the Senate Sergeant and the Sergeant’s supervisory staff.
— Sen. Howard Marklein represents Wisconsin’s 17th Senate District.
