Randall Murphree
AFA Journal editor
December 2014 – Kert Henning has been in the cheese making business all of his life. “I’ve been working here since I was a young boy,” he told AFA Journal, “but I call my official start date about 33 years ago.” Henning’s Wisconsin Cheese celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. They’re not the biggest – just the best – says Henning, vice president of the family business in Kiel, Wisconsin.
“We make about 16,000 pounds of cheese a day, five days a week,” he said. “Some companies make up to 250,000 pounds a day, seven days a week.” Those numbers (the five-day operation) hint at the importance of family to the Hennings.
Faith and family are subtle but deep-rooted values in the Henning clan. One of Kert’s brothers is a pastor, and the extended family is involved in both Protestant and Catholic churches. Practicing integrity in their business is second nature.
“We don’t advertise [our faith],” Henning said. “We try to live it so others can see a difference in us. I think if one is faithful, they would not only run their lives by these principles, but their business as well.”
How do they do it? Henning answers: “One word – honesty. We do business with a lot of people with a handshake, like years ago. We look them in the eye and portray honest values.”
Otto and Norma Henning, Kert’s grandparents, bought the rural factory in 1914, and it has become the epitome of a family-owned and operated business. Among 25 employees are Kert’s 82-year-old dad Everett, sister Kay, brother Kerry, daughter Rebekah, son Joshua and niece Mindy.
Henning believes the smaller operation allows HWC to keep the sense of family, better serve employees and customers, maintain excellence in the product, and foster a family atmosphere in the walk-in store and museum.
“My father has been saving his old equipment since he got into the business,” Henning said. A lot of those items are now on display at HWC. Families or groups who make an appointment in advance may be able to spend a little time with a staff member to learn more about cheese making and the Henning operation. They can also watch the process from the museum’s viewing windows.
Are there free samples? Of course! Visitors get to taste a number of varieties – maybe blueberry cobbler, garlic and dill, chipotle cheddar and other flavors one might never expect to find in cheese.
HWC still takes special orders for the traditional bandaged mammoth wheels of cheese that everyone made years ago. “We are the last cheese factory in the U.S. making wheels larger than 75 pounds,” Henning said. “We can make wheels as small as 12 pounds or as large as 12,000 pounds.”
Wisconsin is the nation’s second largest cheese producing state, making more than 600 varieties of cheese. It is the only state that requires a cheese factory to have a licensed cheese maker supervise production; at HWC, that’s Kerry. He, Kert and the rest of the crew offer up a wide assortment of those 600 flavors. And the welcome mat is always out for visitors to drop in, taste a little extraordinary cheese and enjoy the Henning hospitality. 
Cheese for Christmas – Henning’s Wisconsin Cheese is available in gift boxes for Christmas and throughout the year. Long-distance shipping is avoided in summer; however, boxes can be packed with ice packs for shorter distances.
Order at henningscheese.com or call 920-894-3032. The website also offers recipes, hints for storing cheese at home, how cheese is made and much more.
