Gehl Foods, Inc.
Address: N116 W15970 Main St., Germantown
Year founded: 1896
Product or service offered: Gehl Foods is a technologically advanced “aseptic” dairy producer, creating new dairy foods that can hold their fresh flavor without refrigeration or preservatives. We produce nutritional beverages, cheese sauces and puddings, among other products, from real dairy ingredients.
Projected 2014 revenue: Not disclosed.
CEO: Katherine Gehl
Target clientele: Retailers, restaurants and major brand owners
Business organization memberships: MMAC
What has fueled your company’s growth? “For more than 115 years, our driving force for growth has been continuous investment in manufacturing technologies, new facilities and new jobs. However, while maintaining focus on those investments, our recent growth is largely fueled by our goal to become a world-class manufacturer. This philosophy works to efficiently improve business and manufacturing processes.”
What is the biggest obstacle to your company’s growth? “The rapid change within the aseptic food processing marketplace continues to be an important obstacle that Gehl Foods contends with today. These transitions make it necessary for Gehl Foods to maintain a strong relationship with its employees with clear and concise communications to ensure efforts are working toward a common goal.”
Do you plan to make any changes in your company in the coming months? “We’ve made significant investments in the past decade to expand our company, and will be focusing over the next year on growing within our existing footprint to serve new customers within our existing markets.”
Who are the business people, locally or nationally, whom you admire? And what traits do those people exhibit that make you admire them? “The amount of support that is given by the Gehl employees as we continue to evolve is unprecedented. The passion, commitment and ingenuity of each employee strengthens our company and that is something truly admirable.”
What is the outlook for the business conditions of your industry over the next several months? “The national and international demand for non-refrigerated dairy products will continue to grow in the coming months, and we plan to remain on the leading edge of this trend.”
What is your company’s most important growth strategy right now? “An aggressive growth strategy is in place for all lines of business within the Gehl Foods portfolio. To become a world-class operational focused company, Gehl looks to transform the company from a culture of activity, to one based on performance.”
