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Company type | Private |
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Industry | Cheese and food production, marketing |
Founded | 1953Plymouth, Wisconsin | in
Founder | Leonard Gentine and Joseph Sartori |
Headquarters | Plymouth, Wisconsin , |
Key people | Louie Gentine, CEO |
Products | Packaged food, Dairy products |
Revenue | Sales are over $1.8 billion annually |
Owner | The Gentine family |
Number of employees | 1,800 (2016 estimate) |
Website | sargento.com |
Sargento Foods Inc. is an American food producer best known for its cheese. It was founded in 1953 in Plymouth, Wisconsin by Leonard Gentine and Joseph Sartori.[1][2] The company name is a combination of Sartori and Gentine, with an "o" added to make the name sound Italian, as the company specialized in Italian-style cheeses.[3][4] Sargento is one of the largest privately held companies in the United States,[5] and is one of the country's largest retail cheese companies.[6] The company offers profit sharing, tuition reimbursement and benefits for its employees.[7] The company has been a sponsor in American motorsports for many years;[8][9] for example, it is prominently displayed on Road America raceway.[10][11][12][13]
Sargento was the first company to sell packaged shredded cheese, and the first to develop zippered packaging for its cheeses.[14][15] The company also produces and markets specialty cheeses, which it purveys on its website and in catalogs.[16] Additional products include sauces, snack cheeses and snack foods, and the company also manufactures custom cheese and food products for corporate clients.[16]
In early 2017, Sargento recalled seven cheeses for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.[17]