For Immediate Release
February 9, 2006

Fort Collins, Colorado - Internationally acclaimed Bingham Hill Cheese Company announced that it is closing, effective immediately. 

The decision to close was predicated on the loss of a major customer and a concurrent need to invest in a new facility. 

In June 2005, Bingham Hill lost a customer that represented around 50 percent of annual revenues.  Attempts were made to replace the customer, but while several new accounts were landed, none approached the volume of the lost customer.  As a result, Bingham Hill experienced several consecutive months of negative cash flow.

Additionally, Bingham Hill leased space for its production facility and the building owner plans to demolish the building this spring to make way for a new project.  As a result, Bingham Hill was faced with the prospect of constructing a new production facility.

In the end, owners Kristi and Tom Johnson were unwilling to risk additional investment in the absence of reliable cash flow.  “It is not clear to us that the investment needed at this time would pay off, for us, or for outside investors,” Kristi said, adding,  “The market for artisan cheese is not as vibrant as we forecasted, and the cost of doing business has increased dramatically in the past year.”

Bingham Hill Cheese was founded in the fall of 1999.  The company quickly entered the spotlight when its first batch of cheese, a raw milk, natural rind blue cheese called Rustic Blue, earned a gold medal at the 2000 American Cheese Society competition in Napa Valley.  Bingham Hill then embarked on a path of innovation that culminated in the creation of 20 new products in five years.  Every cheese earned recognition in prestigious competitions, as the company won forty-five national and international awards.  Most notably, Bingham Hill won Best Blue Cheese (twice) and Best American Cheese at the World Cheese Awards in London, England.  The Northern Colorado Business Report honored Kristi and Tom Johnson with the “Emerging Entrepreneur Award” in 2003.

More recently, Bingham Hill won 10 medals at the 2005 World Cheese Awards, more than any other American producer. The company’s cheeses have been featured in numerous gourmet and specialty magazines, including Sunset; Gourmet; Food and Wine; Wine Spectator; Bon Appetit; and on the Food Network.  The company was mentioned in numerous lists of the top 10 American cheese companies and top 10 American cheeses. Bingham Hill cheeses have been served in the nation’s finest restaurants. They were sold through numerous distributors to specialty stores and natural food groceries in all national markets. 

Despite these successes, the company was unable to commit to the cost of continued operations. Other factors that entered into the decision included milk, fuel, and shipping costs. Additionally, Bingham Hill Cheese Company is located in an area where real estate and labor prices are relatively high.  As a result, Bingham Hill constantly fought to keep cheese prices in line with the competition, sometimes at the expense of profit.

The company considered moving their operations to Wisconsin in an effort to reduce costs, but decided against it.  “The path was not clear there, either, and our family is here.  Once we reminded ourselves of our priorities, we decided simply to close,” Tom said.  The company also met with local officials and considered partnering with a high-throughput cheesemaker, but neither strategy resulted in a solid plan. 

“We are grateful to the people who gave us a chance to succeed in this business,” said Tom Johnson.   “Our investors, customers, suppliers, and colleagues have been loyal and supportive, and we will miss them.”

For the past several years, Bingham Hill has employed around 20 people.  A few employees will be retained to help with the closure, but all of the remaining jobs have been terminated.  The skills that the employees gained while working for the cheese company are transferable to any food manufacturing, distributing or retailing organization.  The company has asked any organization who is interested in hiring former Bingham Hill employees to fax a job description to 970.472.0702.  The information will be shared with former employees.

EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA

Bingham Hill Cheese Company is in the process of liquidating all of its equipment and supplies.  Many items are currently listed on ebay.  Much of the company’s equipment is hard-to-find, artisan-scale equipment.  Also, the wooden aging shelves that were at least in part responsible for Bingham Hill’s fabled natural rinds will be auctioned.  For a complete list of items for sale, please visit Bingham Hill’s website at www.binghamhill.com.

Bingham Hill will auction off the company brand, product names, packaging, recipes, and instruction on making the company’s products on ebay during a weeklong auction beginning March 1.

For more information, please contact Tom Johnson at (970) 215-3459.

The World Cheese Awards is considered among most important cheese competitions in the world. With more cheeses from more countries worldwide than any other competition, the World Cheese Awards is respected by cheesemakers, retailers, and consumers alike. This year, more than 200 cheeses from the United States were judged side by side with more than 1,000 cheeses from Europe, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

Bingham Hill’s 10 medals were easily the most garnered by any U.S. cheese company. Bingham Hill’s awards ranged from gold and silver medals in the “blue veined cheeses” category (Rustic Blue and Sheepish Blue) to a literal sweep of the “fresh cheese” category, where the company won six medals. Bingham Hill’s Sweet Clover, a 100 percent sheep’s milk cheese, earned its first award, while Harvest Moon, a washed rind cheese, medalled for the second year in a row. Bingham Hill’s dominant performance in the fresh cheese category cemented the company’s reputation as the premier maker of flavored soft cheeses in the United States.

Medals won by Bingham Hill Cheese Company at the 2005 World Cheese Awards include: (classes in parentheses)

Gold Medal - Rustic Blue (Blue Veined Cheeses)
Gold Medal – Roasted Pepper and Olive Fresh Cheese (Fresh Cheese/Savory Additives)
Silver Medal – Garlic Chive Fresh Cheese (Fresh Cheese/Savory Additives)
Silver Medal – Tuscan Herb Fresh Cheese (Fresh Cheese/Savory Additives)
Silver Medal – Sheepish Blue (Blue Veined Cheeses)
Bronze Medal – Harvest Moon (Washed Rind Cheeses)
Bronze Medal – Sweet Clover (Semi-hard Ewe’s Milk Cheeses)
Bronze Medal - Chile Lime Fresh Cheese (Fresh Cheese/Savory Additives)
Bronze Medal - Wasabi Fresh Cheese (Fresh Cheese/Savory Additives)
Bronze Medal - Original Fresh Cheese (Fresh/Cream Cheese)

Click here to see a listing of past awards that Bingham Hill Cheese has won.

For More information about the World Cheese Awards, visit http://www.finefoodworld.com/html/cheeseawards.htm

12-01-04
Bingham Hill Cheese Lauded on The Splendid Table
The public radio food program, The Splendid Table, highlighted Bingham Hill Cheese on their November 13th, 2004 national broadcast. Host Lynne Rossetto Kaspar interviewed renowned food writer David Rosegarten about the state of American Artisinal Cheese. David raved about Angel Feat, Rustic Blue, and Sheepish Blue. Click here to listen to the show.

12-01-04
Annual Open House a Huge Success
Over six hundred guests faced snowy weather to tour the Bingham Hill Cheesery on November 20th.  Our dedicated fans were welcomed in our new retail shop with hot mulled cider and many cheese samples.  Touring groups were formed according to cheese types (the mountain men preferring the Rustic Blue group to the Poudre Puff group), and were shown a rousing slide show by Kristi's mom, Barb Hagen.  Then they were escorted by Kristi's dad, Dick Hagen, to the production room, where Tom passed on the Bingham Hill cheese aging wisdom.  The caves were the favorite of the kids (or maybe the hairnets were).  Pat Marshal showed off the fresh cheese packaging machine and the Poudre Puff nursery.  The groups then settled in for some fondue and raclette in our "tasting cave" (two farmer's market tents with some twinkly lights).  Maren Marvin used a total of 50 pounds of cheese and ten bottles of wine in the fondue!  All in all, everyone had a great time and went home full.  Thank you to everyone who visited and helped - it's fun to have a big party with all our friends!