The #1 Reason People Move to Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s finest cheese and more since 1964. Vern’s Cheese, owned by the Novak family, offers a legacy of quality and tradition.

Since 1964, we’ve been distributing the finest Wisconsin products you know and love.

The history of Vern’s Cheese is as iconic as our beloved string cheese. What began as a one-truck business that made deliveries to customers in Northeast Wisconsin has now grown to bring the classic tastes of Wisconsin throughout the Midwest.

More Than Cheese

Vern’s Cheese now distributes fresh dairy products, eggs, meats, prepared foods, dry goods, seasonings and sauces, chocolates, Wisconsin maple syrup, honey and yes, cheese!

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A Rich History in Cheese: Decades of Quality & Tradition

Ben’s History

  1. George Joseph Novak (born 1908) operates many cheese factories in Northern and Northeastern Wisconsin. He makes cheese in the Oneida and Crandon areas before selling Argonne Cheese Factory and purchasing 12 Corners Cheese Factory in Black Creek, WI.

  3. George and Bill Sr. (father/son) make cheese together at 12 Corners Cheese Factory.

  5. After selling 12 Corners Cheese Factory, George and Della move to Stangleville and open their own cheese factory. They operate it until shutting it down in 1967.

  7. Bill Novak Sr., George and Della’s son, purchases Sunnyside Cheese Factory in Wayside, WI, with his wife, Ruth, which they operate until merging with Hebel’s Corner Cheese Factory in Denmark, WI.

  9. William Novak consolidates the milk from Sunnyside to cheese production at Hebel’s Corners. For the first three years, he makes Parmesan and Romano before switching to cheddar, which he goes on to win State awards for.

  10. Vern and Edith Knoespel start Vern’s Cheese with one truck and rented cooler space.

  11. Hebel’s Corner Cheese Factory is connected to Bill Sr. and Ruth’s home, where they live and make cheese with their seven children.

  12. Vern and Edith purchase a small warehouse in rural Chilton, WI. The whole family would pile into the family car to deliver orders to customers and pack gift boxes during the holidays.

  13. William and Ruth’s son, Bill Novak Jr., excels at cheese-making and goes into a career in the cheese industry, now owning and operating Novak’s Cheese to this day.

  15. Bill Sr. and Ruth agree to sell their family cheese factory to Errico Auricchio, who goes on to create the BelGioioso Cheese Company, making outstanding Italian cheeses in Wisconsin.

  16. Vern and Edith purchase a plot of land in Chilton and build an office and warehouse. For the first time, the office and warehouse are in the same location.

  18. An addition is built for a production area and cheese-cutting room. This addition was the first of many during the subsequent years and allowed us to grow into the company we are today.

  19. Ben Novak joins his father, Bill Novak Jr., at Novak’s Cheese. Ben learns the basics of the industry and becomes a licensed Wisconsin cheese grader. Ben has the same grader number, #520, as his grandfather William. Ben forms relationships throughout the entire cheese and dairy industry, from dairy farmers to cheese makers to the grocery stores and restaurants that sell Wisconsin’s finest asset: cheese.

  20. A retail store and expanded office space are added, the last major additions to our facility.

  21. Ben and his wife, Lindsey, take over ownership at Vern’s Cheese in Chilton, WI, to continue the tradition of the Novak family name working in the cheese industry.

Vern’s History