Dairy company hoping for success with collaborative business model

By Hannah Gerbitz

For WisBusiness.com

Wisconsin produced 25 percent of the nation’s cheese in 2012, more than any other state by more than 5 percentage points. The Dairy State also ranks No. 1 in production of seven different major cheeses, as well as many specialty cheeses.

If you’re going to start a dairy business, Wisconsin seems to be the place to do it.

This is exactly what Steve King had in mind when he came up with the idea for 3D Dairy Foods, a product and brand business development company in the categories of refrigerated dairy and prepared and packaged foods.

King feels strongly he has chosen the ideal location to start his business. “We are Wisconsin – ‘America’s Dairyland,’ – and everyone knows that,” he said. “There’s a ‘value’ base, and an existing dairy food production infrastructure. I want to leverage what exists.”

3D Dairy Foods is unique to the market based on the development of its product and brand, King said. He said 3D Dairy Foods plans to use a “collaborative” business model, by which other people’s assets will be used, and the existing food production and distribution infrastructure in Wisconsin can be leveraged.

In this business, King believes in the power of ideas.

“I’ve always ‘sold’ the hardest thing there is to sell – an idea – and that’s what 3D Dairy Foods is all about. We have lots of them,” King said. “The food industry is very competitive, because everyone eats; hopefully, every day; and, it is driven by what’s new, what’s the next and newest idea in foods; especially in healthful and convenient foods for today’s busy consumer.”

The idea for 3D Dairy Foods has been developed through King’s consulting work with Westby Cooperative Creamery, a 110-year-old cooperative of family dairy farms in Wisconsin.

As King learned more about the cultured dairy food product and hard cheese markets, his idea emerged and developed. Westby Cooperative Creamery will be a partner for 3D Dairy Foods in the development and manufacturing of the products.

How did King decide on the 3D name? “As the idea of the business was ruminating, I had certain words in mind – delicious, distinctive, delightful, different, new dimensions, and of course, dairy,” he recalled.

After working with many of these ideas, and purposely ignoring the rules of grammar to emphasize the word “different,” 3D Dairy Foods emerged. “It just all became crisp as ‘Dairy Done Different – 3D Dairy Foods,” said King. “I just want to emphasize that we plan to be ‘different’ in everything we do as a business; easier said than done.”

As consumer awareness and appetite for healthful foods grows, 3D Dairy Foods’ main focus is to address the basic need for nutrition, wellness and healthy eating.

The unique branding and product base of the company includes products such as “Cheetops, Cheedips, Cheeserts, Cheenaks, Cheemacs, Cheetots, Cheevegs, and Cheebles.” All products are flavorful, fat-free, less than 100 calories per serving, gluten free, protein and calcium rich and vitamin-fortified, he said.

The company says this unique array of dairy foods will help to address obesity and weight problems, diabetes, heart health, bone/joint health, brain function, digestive disorders, vitamin deficiencies, and the aging population.

— Gerbitz is a student in the UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication.