Boca Raton, Fla. – The National Cheese Institute has bestowed its highest honor, the NCI Laureate Award, on Fritz Leeman, owner of Brewster Dairy, Inc., in Brewster, Ohio. NCI Chairman Mike Reidy, who is senior vice president, corporate affairs, Leprino Foods Company, presented the award to Leeman during a special ceremony this week at the International Dairy Foods Association's Dairy Forum in Boca Raton, Fla.
The NCI Laureate Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the development and growth of the cheese industry. A panel of industry professionals chooses a winner each year based on the person's long-term contributions to the industry.
Family Focus on Swiss Cheese Pays Off
Fritz Leeman and his father, John, purchased Brewster Dairy in 1965 and produced a variety of cheeses for the dairy industry, some sold under their own label. Although the business flourished, the Leemans decided that concentrating solely on one product, Swiss cheese, would provide an opportunity for greater growth – and it certainly worked. Brewster Dairy is now the largest manufacturer of Swiss cheese in the United States.
As he continued his quest to improve the business and its processing techniques, Fritz Leeman was often among the first to implement new technologies and innovations that enhance products for customers. Under his leadership, for example, the company introduced a new, larger block of cheese that significantly reduced the amount of trim waste during packaging. Later, the addition of two cheese production facilities in Illinois and Idaho gave Brewster Dairy increased capacity for making the products customers wanted.
“For more than 50 years, Brewster Dairy has been a family business with a stellar reputation for quality cheeses and exceptional customer service, and for most of his life, Fritz Leeman has been the primary inspiration for that success,” said Connie Tipton, IDFA president and CEO.
Other cheese industry pioneers who have won the NCI Laureate Award include Bob Bush, Larry Jensen, Lou Gentine, Mark Johnson, Jerome Schuman, Larry Ferguson, John Jeter, Mark Davis, Wes Allen, Elmer Marth, Max Gonzenbach, Rudy Nef, Betsy Holden, Don Storhoff, Lester Kielsmeier, Hans Epprecht, Norm Olson, Dave Nusbaum, John Nelson, Harold Steinke, Raymond Goldbach, Jack Budahn and Vince Zehren.
NCI will issue a call for nominations for the 2016 NCI Laureate Award this summer.
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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C, represents the nation's dairy manufacturing and marketing industries and their suppliers, with a membership of 550 companies within a $125-billion a year industry. IDFA is composed of three constituent organizations: the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA). IDFA's nearly 200 dairy processing members run nearly 600 plant operations, and range from large multi-national organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States. IDFA can be found online at www.idfa.org.
Source: The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)
