PLYMOUTH, WIS. — Cheese manufacturer Masters Gallery Foods purchased converting and distribution facilities from Rumiano Cheese Company. Terms were not disclosed. 

Masters Gallery Foods shared that the converting facility in Willows, Calif., was constructed in 2021 and the plant’s employees will join its workforce.

Following the acquisition, Masters Gallery Foods will operate Rumiano’s converting and distribution division in Willows. Sartori Cheese purchased Rumiano’s cheesemaking facility in Crescent City, Calif., and will market the Rumiano Organic brand.

Plymouth, Wis.-based Masters Gallery Foods initiated strategies in recent years to expand its manufacturing work to other regions. The company’s leadership identified Rumiano’s Northeren California locale as an opportunity to serve West Coast customers without added freight costs associated with shipping.

The cheese packaging and distribution company said with a “strong manufacturing team already in place” at the California converting facility, plus similar equipment and capabilities as Masters Gallery Foods’ Wisconsin operations, it expects a smooth transition.

Masters Gallery Foods president and chief executive officer Jeff Gentine called the West Coast presence an exciting opportunity for the company and its 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,” Gentine said, referencing the California-based cheese manufacturer’s deep roots in the region. "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."

Rumiano Cheese Company owner John Rumiano said members of the family-owned business were proud to join another family operation that respects what Rumiano Cheese built over the past 100-plus years.

“The team at Masters Gallery Foods shares our values, understands our story, and is committed to carrying our mission forward," John Rumiano said. "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."