(Beaver Dam) A Beaver Dam business recently celebrated a major milestone. City leaders and staff of Kraft Heinz commemorated the company’s 95 years in the local community. The factory can trace its roots in Beaver Dam all the way back to 1928. In 2015, Kraft and Heinz merged into one corporation. Director of Supply Chain Development Bill Palm says Kraft Heinz has a rich history in Beaver Dam.
“Considering its been here for 95 years…we’ve been making cream cheese here and we’ve been trying to be a good partner with the city and trying to be the employer of choice,” says Palm.
The Kraft Heinz plant, located at the corner of West Mill and South Center Street, produces approximately five million pounds of cream cheese a week. Early this year, their Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese brick was named Best of Class in the Cream Cheese category at the US Championship Cheese Contest.
Plant Manager Michelle Terwilliger says their success means more growth.
“Our building is about the size its going to be but we’re adding a new line next year,” says Terwilliger. “So, we’re going to continue to grow and add…bring in new technologies and employ the people of Beaver Dam.”
Terwilliger says with the new brick line the plan is to hire around 20 new employees. Lois Cook, who has been working at the company for 45 years, says her love for the job is as strong as ever.
“Ever since I started here it’s been one blessing after another for me and one good thing right after another,” says Cook. “I’m really gung-ho about [Kraft Heinz].”
Kraft Heinz’s commemoration happened during Manufacturing Month, an industry that generates $66-billion-dollars in economic output and accounts for nearly 19-percent of the state’s domestic product.
