World Championship Cheese Contest Marks Ten Years with Key Partners
Madison, Wisconsin – The upcoming 2012 World Championship Cheese Contest marks the tenth year of a key partnership between Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and WOW Logistics, Appleton, Wisconsin., Wisconsin Aging & Grading (WAG) Cheese Inc. in Little Chute, Wisconsin, and Preferred Transit Inc. in Monticello, Wisconsin. Together, these supplier partners store, sort and transport thousands of contest cheeses.
The 2012 World Championship Cheese Contest will be held March 5 – 7 at Monona Terrace in Madison, Wis. Entry forms and fees are due February 8 and entries are to be delivered to WOW Logistics by Friday, February 24.
"Without these key partners, quite simply, WCMA’s Championship Cheese Contests could not function,” said John Umhoefer, Executive Director, WCMA, “The Association is grateful for these reliable associates that make the Contests happen by their timeliness and attention to detail.”
Each year, cheese entries are shipped to the WOW Logistics cold storage facility where they are held in optimal conditions. WAG Cheese Inc. donates many hours sorting and labeling Contest entries. “This process is extremely important and can be challenging, considering we receive over 2,000 cheeses from all over the world,” added Umhoefer.
“The championship cheese contests are a great industry event,” said Ken Neumeier, President, Wisconsin Aging & Grading Cheese Inc., “and we are pleased to work with WOW and WCMA to make the Contests successful.”
“We’re proud to collaborate with the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association for Championship Cheese Contests,” said Rick Schlapman, National Sales Manager for WOW Logistics. “The Contests have seen tremendous growth over the years, and we’re pleased to be able to provide the facilities for the cheese and butter entries.”
Preferred Transit of Monroe, Wis. provides transportation of the Contest entries to and from the cold storage to the contest site and also delivers the winning cheeses to the International Cheese Technology Exhibition. “Preferred Transit provides a vital service for the Championship Cheese Contests,” said Umhoefer. “Their dependable service is crucial as we’re managing a tight time frame and perishable product.”
Contest entrants are encouraged to utilize MyEntries, the personal, secure online entry worksite at www.worldchampioncheese.org. MyEntries users will receive a $10 per entry discount.
Source: News Release from the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association