Company History
C.E. Zuercher's company history begins in
the early 1900's. Clement Emil Zuercher, a fourth
generation Emmenthal maker, emigrated from Zurich, Switzerland to
Monroe, Wisconsin in 1906. Shortly after setting foot on
American soil, Clement went to work for Gail Borden at one of
his dairies, while at the same time he represented Maurice
Lustenberger--a Switzerland cheese exporter--as a sideline.
When Borden restructured to mass production, Clem bought one of
his dairies, and opened a distribution facility in Chicago, Illinois. He dedicated his firm to making and selling
cheese to customers who cared about quality.
Over the years, more factories were added.
After World War II, Joe Zuercher joined his father in the
business. Clem
retired in the early 1960s.
Joe passed away in 1969.
Joe’s wife, Irene, then took over the firm.
Realizing the dynamics of the industry were changing, she
divested the factories and devoted herself to the marketing and
sale of cheese. Like
her predecessors, she continued to sell quality cheese to
customers who wanted top tier product.
Irene just recently retired in 1999, after
nearly forty years of service.
Her son, Joe Zuercher Jr. and her son-in-law, John Lull,
joined the firm in the late 1970s, and remain to this day. Joe
Jr. and John have further expanded the selection of cheeses over
the years, as C.E. Zuercher currently sells about 700 different
types, still targeting the “Dedicated user.”
C.E. Zuercher & Co., Inc. was initially
created to focus on the manufacture of table quality cheese
types, and in addition, included a variety of imported cheese in
their product range. Over the years, C.E. Zuercher &
Co. has taken a caretaker's approach to sales.
The company’s main goals are concentrating on turning
inventory, and watching each order individually.
This will in turn ensure that all products reach the
customer in top-quality condition. Traditionally, the
company's customer base has consisted of retailers, hoteliers, restaurateurs, and distributors who demand fresh top quality
cheeses generally in the bulk size and shape typical to each
variety.
In response to customer demand, the firm
has significantly diversified its inventory past cheese,
providing a more expansive product offering to its customers.
In recent years, numerous quality products have been added,
including the following: chocolate couvertures, Arborio Rice,
Greek Olives, Olive Oils, Vinegars, Italian Hard Durum Pasta,
and many more products.
In late October of 2001, the company moved to
Skokie, Illinois (just two blocks outside of Chicago) after 81 years on Fulton Market in
the city. This new facility will not only allow us to
continue to grow, but will also allow us to better serve our
clients with more expansive product offerings and better
inventory control.
Despite these recent additions and changes,
our emphasis
remains on delivering high quality products in top condition to
a discerning clientele, and not on elaborate marketing or hard line
sales.
