A Great Place to Work – Businesses of the Month

Did you know that the pleasure of high-quality butter can transform your cooking, elevate your meals, and add a touch of indulgence to your everyday life? Minerva Dairy butter is the perfect choice for this. For 130 years, they have been passionately crafting cheese and butter, believing there’s little in life that can’t be improved with cheese or butter. Their cheese delights customers at popular establishments like Chipotle and House brand crackers. Meanwhile, their rich, delicious butter is available in more than 10,000 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Publix, and HEB. You can also find them at Kishman’s IGA in Minerva, right in the dairy aisle.  At their creamery, they proudly produce about 60 percent cheese and 40 percent butter, ensuring quality in every bite.

Minerva Dairy was founded in 1894 by Max P. Radloff, the first-generation owner. Growing up in his father’s furniture business, Max soon realized that he couldn’t eat furniture—his true passions were butter and cheese. This revelation led him to establish Radloff Cheese in Hustisford, Wisconsin. In 1912, Max’s son, Roland Radloff, took the helm of the thriving creamery. The family legacy continued in 1934 when Roland’s daughter, Lorraine, met Delbert Mueller, both raised in families that cherished the dairy industry. After marrying in 1938, they embarked on a journey from Hustisford to Minerva, Ohio, for their honeymoon and to start a new life dedicated to butter-making. With limited funds, they constructed an apartment within the dairy, and created a deeply rooted community here in Minerva, Ohio. Today, Minerva Dairy employs 75 people, continually exploring innovative ways to achieve excellence.

According to butter maker Brock Grindstaff, “The camaraderie among production-floor employees makes Minerva Dairy a great place to work. Team members are always willing to lend a hand, uplifting each other even on tough days. I enjoy making butter, utilizing a variety of skills to produce a quality product, combining food science with a mechanically inclined team to create the beloved sticks that customers find in stores.”

Shannon Bond, from the corporate office, notes, “Despite being in a niche market, Minerva Dairy offers abundant learning opportunities. I appreciate the small-town essence blended with modern innovation, where my ideas are valued and contribute to a deeper sense of ownership beyond any paycheck.”

Minerva Dairy takes pride in creating an enjoyable work environment where employees look forward to their days together.

You might wonder how the process of transforming fresh milk into outstanding dairy products works. At Minerva Dairy, they source milk from 85 generational dairy farms across northeastern Ohio, as well as purchasing overflow milk from businesses in the tri-state area. This means when a local dairy has excess milk, Minerva Dairy steps in to help. As a vital milk balancing facility for the region, they ensure that high-quality milk from these farms is processed rather than discarded, which helps prevent economic hardship for farmers.

Once milk arrives at the creamery, it is transformed into cheese. Currently, they produce a more cheese than butter, yet the two products are intricately linked; making cheese generates the cream needed for butter. The cheese they produce primarily serves industrial purposes, often acting as an ingredient in various food products. Cream from the milk is used by the butter makers to craft butter using time-honored methods from 1894, enhanced by modern technology. Today, Minerva Dairy utilizes electricity, automation, and innovative techniques to improve its processes. Their butter is rich, containing 85 percent butterfat, and is produced through a slow churning process, hand-crafted by their skilled butter makers. At Minerva Dairy, they emphasize the importance of maintaining family ownership and traditions, as it is a core part of their identity and craft. With each generation, they continue to excel in producing cheese and butter.

Minerva Dairy is a cultural icon for the farming industry that was and currently is. They are proud to partner with other small, family-owned businesses. Being able to work within such a small community with friends and family truly makes Minerva Dairy thrive.

Check Minerva Dairy socials out to see amazing family and stellar products!

Instagram: @Minerva_Dairy

Facebook: Minerva Dairy

Tik Tok: @Minervadairy

430 Radloff Ave.
Minerva, OH 44657