{{Short description|American food company}} {{for|the musician|Nelson Sargento}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox company | name = Sargento Foods Inc. | logo = Sargento foods logo.png | logo_size = 250px | logo_caption = | image = | image_caption = | trading_name = <!-- d/b/a/, doing business as - if different from legal name above --> | native_name = <!-- Company's name in home country language --> | native_name_lang = <!-- Use ISO 639-2 code, e.g. "fr" for French. If there is more than one native name, in different languages, enter those names using {{tl|lang}}, instead. --> | romanized = | former type = | type = [[Privately held company|Private]] | traded_as = | industry = [[Cheesemaking|Cheese]] and [[Food industry|food production]], marketing | genre = <!-- Only used with media and publishing companies --> | fate = | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = {{start date and age|1953}} in [[Plymouth, Wisconsin]] | founder = Leonard Gentine and Joseph Sartori | location_city = Plymouth, Wisconsin | location_country = [[United States]] | locations = <!-- Number of locations, stores, offices, etc. --> | area_served = | key_people = Louie Gentine, CEO | products = Packaged food, [[Dairy product]]s | production = | services = | revenue = Sales are over $1.8 billion annually | operating_income = | net_income = | assets = | equity = | owner = The Gentine family | num_employees = 2,500 (2024 estimate) | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = {{URL|https://www.sargento.com/}} | footnotes = | intl = | bodystyle = }}
'''Sargento Foods Inc.''' is an American food producer best known for its [[cheese]]. It was founded in 1953 in [[Plymouth, Wisconsin]] by Leonard Gentine and Joseph Sartori.{{sfn|Hintz|Percy|2008|p=143}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hildebrand |first=Janice |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=swIrAQAAMAAJ&q=sargento+cheese+1953 |title=Sheboygan County: 150 Years of Progress : an Illustrated History |date=1 January 1988 |publisher=Windsor Publications |isbn=9780897812528 |via=Google Books |accessdate=28 April 2018}}</ref> Sargento is one of the largest privately held companies in the [[United States]],{{sfn|Hintz|Percy|2008|p=248}} and is one of the country's largest retail cheese companies.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AR8fgW2ZUCsC&pg=PA67 |title=Plymouth |date=2006 |publisher=Arcadia Pub |isbn=978-0-7385-4086-3 |editor-last=Plymouth Historical Society (Plymouth, Wis.) |series=Images of America |location=Charleston, SC |page=67 |editor-last2=Sheboygan County Historical Research Center}}</ref> The company offers [[profit sharing]], tuition reimbursement and [[Employee benefit|benefits]] for its employees.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Daft |first=Richard L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JJ_HuV1KlyQC&pg=PA436 |title=The Leadership Experience |date=July 17, 2007 |page=436|publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-0-324-53968-4 }}</ref> The company has been a sponsor in American motorsports for many years;<ref>{{Cite web |title=Road America News - Sargento Named Title Sponsor for NASCAR Nationwide Series Event at Road America |url=http://www.racingwisconsin.com/story.asp?aid=4798 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220132437/http://www.racingwisconsin.com/story.asp?aid=4798 |archive-date=2016-12-20 |access-date=2016-12-11}}</ref> for example, it is prominently displayed on [[Road America]] raceway.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Welcome to Road America Elkhart Lake's Road America, Inc. |url=http://www.roadamerica.com/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226125522/http://roadamerica.com/ |archive-date=26 February 2011 |access-date=28 April 2018 |website=www.roadamerica.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=14 January 2020 |title=Sponsorships |url=https://www.roadamerica.com/sponsorships |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008224308/https://www.roadamerica.com/sponsorships |archive-date=8 October 2020 |access-date=Oct 5, 2020 |website=Road America}}</ref>
==History== The company name is a combination of Sartori and Gentine, with an "o" added to make the name sound [[Italian language|Italian]], as the company specialized in Italian-style cheeses. In 1949, at a poker game, Gentine, who previously owned a funeral home, ordered 100 cheese gift boxes but discovered that most of the cheese providers only did truck size orders. He would offer cheese companies for their surplus cheese. At first, the process was completely by hand, from slicing to waxing to packing. Eventually, 2 machines, 1 for slicing and 1 for waxing were made.<ref>https://www.investors.com/news/management/leaders-and-success/sargento-founder-leonard-gentine-sliced-success-cheese/</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=July 29, 2016 |title=Hall of Fame honors for Sargento's founder; DMI, Bai Brands make executive appointments |url=http://www.dairyfoods.com/articles/91879-hall-of-fame-honors-for-sargentos-founder-dmi-bai-brands-make-executive-appointments |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822135339/http://www.dairyfoods.com/articles/91879-hall-of-fame-honors-for-sargentos-founder-dmi-bai-brands-make-executive-appointments |archive-date=2017-08-22 |access-date=August 21, 2017 |magazine=Dairy Foods Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hajewski |first=Doris |date=May 22, 2010 |title=Saying 'cheese' with a genuine smile |url=http://archive.jsonline.com/business/93958824.html/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822133958/http://archive.jsonline.com/business/93958824.html/ |archive-date=2017-08-22 |access-date=August 21, 2017 |work=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]}}</ref>
== Corporate overview == Sargento has 5 different locations, all of them being in [[Wisconsin]]. It has over 2,500 employees in total.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Durian |first=Tom |date=2024-02-21 |title=Made in Wisconsin: Sargento Cheese |url=https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/made-in-wisconsin-sargento-cheese |access-date=2025-10-12 |website=TMJ4 News |language=en}}</ref>
==Products== Sargento was the first company to sell pre-packaged sliced cheese (1953), to sell pre-packaged shredded cheeses (1958),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Garner |first=Alex |date=2023-12-03 |orig-date={{date|2023-11-19|MDY}} |title=It's a lot, but I love it: Sargento celebrates 70 years of cheesemaking, community and family |url=https://www.sheboyganpress.com/story/money/companies/2023/11/19/plymouth-based-sargento-marks-70-years-family-business/71484167007/ |work=The Oshkosh Northwestern |pages=C2}}</ref> and the first to develop [[Resealable packaging|zippered packaging]] for its cheeses (2001).<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ckx-w7yuvTUC&q=sargento+cheese&pg=PT483 |title=Plunkett's Food Industry Almanac 2008: Food Industry Market Research, Statistics, Trends & Leading Companies |date=28 April 2018 |publisher=Plunkett Research |isbn=9781593921064 |via=Google Books |accessdate=28 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hoover |first1=Gary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HNUTAQAAIAAJ&q=sargento+cheese+1953 |title=Hoover's MasterList of Major U.S. Companies |last2=Hoover's |date=28 April 2018 |publisher=Reference Press |isbn=9781573110709 |via=Google Books |accessdate=28 April 2018}}</ref> The company also produces and markets specialty cheeses, which it purveys on its website and in catalogs.<ref name="Plunketts">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ckx-w7yuvTUC&pg=PT483 |title=Plunketts Food Industry Almanac 2008: The Only Comprehensive Guide to Food Companies and Trends |page=483 |isbn=978-1-59392-106-4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906055304/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ckx-w7yuvTUC&pg=PT483#v=onepage&q&f=false |archive-date=2024-09-06 |author=<!--none given--> |date=2008 |publisher=Plunkett Research }}</ref> Additional products include sauces, snack cheeses and snack foods, and the company also manufactures custom cheese and food products for corporate clients.<ref name=Plunketts/>
In early 2017, Sargento recalled seven cheeses for possible ''[[Listeria monocytogenes]]'' contamination.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Conlon |first1=Kevin |last2=Gatewood |first2=Johanzynn |date=February 14, 2017 |title=Listeria-related cheese recall expands |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/12/health/sargento-cheese-recall/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906055409/https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/12/health/sargento-cheese-recall/index.html |archive-date=September 6, 2024 |access-date=August 28, 2017 |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref>
==Works== * {{Cite book |last=Faley |first=Tom |title=Treated Like Family: How an Entrepreneur and His "Employee Family" Built Sargento, a Billion-Dollar Cheese Company |date=April 10, 2018 |publisher=Center Street |isbn=978-1478992868 |ref=none}} * {{Cite book |last=Sargento Foods |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KViDkQEACAAJ |title=Pizza Recipes |publisher=Publications International |year=2012 |isbn=978-1450852111 |ref=none}} * {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KkjRbwAACAAJ |title=Sargento Mac and Cheese Recipes |publisher=Publications International |year=2010 |isbn=978-1450801089 |ref=none}}
==See also== {{portal|Companies|Food}} * [[List of cheesemakers]] * [[List of dairy product companies in the United States]]
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== * {{Cite book |last1=Hintz |first1=Martin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=waPVq7au8NsC |title=Wisconsin Cheese: A Cookbook and Guide to the Cheeses of Wisconsin |last2=Percy |first2=Pam |date=26 February 2008 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9780762751969 |via=Google Books |accessdate=28 April 2018}}
==External links== * [https://www.sargento.com/ Official website]
[[Category:Dairy products companies of the United States]] [[Category:Cheesemakers]] [[Category:Food and drink companies based in Wisconsin]] [[Category:Food and drink companies established in 1953]] [[Category:1953 establishments in Wisconsin]] [[Category:American companies established in 1953]] [[Category:Culture of Wisconsin]]