Our Journey to Success
An Industry Leader
Crafting the perfect mozzarella cheese and dairy nutrition products takes time. Over 65 years to be exact. At Leprino Foods, we’re proud of our history and achievements that have led to our success.
1950
Mike Leprino opens a small Italian grocery store in Denver, Colorado. The first cheese is sold under the Gina Marie brand.
1978
Leprino enters the international market with whey protein shipments to Japan.
1979
To reflect the company’s broader portfolio and operations, the name is officially changed to Leprino Foods Company.
1986
Leprino Foods develops and launches Quality-Locked Cheese—cheese that’s individually quick-frozen to naturally lock in peak flavor and performance characteristics.
1989
Our patented “Same Day Dice” process is introduced, transforming fresh milk into cheese in only four hours. In the door by 8:00 am, on your pizza by lunch.
1992
We become the #1 pizza cheese supplier in the U.S.
1998
Leprino Foods enters a strategic alliance with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), the leading dairy co-op in the U.S. The agreement ensures supply certainty for us and our customers.
2000
The company expands into Western Europe through a joint venture with Glanbia PLC.
2003
Our largest plant opens in Lemoore, California. It’s now one of the largest cheese manufacturing plants in the world.
2011
Our presence continues to grow in the Asia Pacific region with the opening of a commercial office in Singapore.
2016
Production begins on native whey and micellar casein sourced directly from micro-filtered milk.
2017
Latin American business expands through a joint venture with Brazilian mozzarella expert, Pic-Nic.