Honoring A Legacy

Generations of the Gentine and Baker families gathered Tuesday to mark the grand opening of the Sargento Francis Baker Cheese Store. The families shared hugs and memories as they walked through the aisles of the new location. In front of cameras from Sargento and the news media, Louie Gentine and Brian Baker said a few words to mark the occasion.

“There’s a lot of history in this cheese store dating way back into the early 1900s. We are just so honored to name this cheese store the Sargento Francis Baker Cheese Store. In our discussions when we purchased Baker Cheese, I made a vow to Brian, his brothers and cousin that I would always do what I could to maintain the rich heritage and legacy of the Baker family," said Louie. “This store is a great testament to the Baker family and what they have done for the community and employees. We want to make sure that we keep that strong legacy living here today.”

The original store that was connected to the St. Cloud facility opened in 1985. Brian Baker's aunt, Mary, ran the store since the beginning.

“The cheese store is very important to us. My grandfather, Francis, always had a dream that he wanted to have a cheese store to help out our employees, our neighbors, our farmers - a place to just sit and have fun and have conversations," said Brian. “That came to fruition in 1985. His sister - my aunt Mary was the manager and there were a lot of fun times and memories there.”

Lou and Louie in Sargento 'Cheese Chopper'

Mary was there Tuesday morning along with her brother, Bob, her sister Diane and their nephews. She couldn't say enough good things about the new store and how wonderful it was to see this day arrive. The merchandise inside is similar to what's available in our employee-only company stores: Sargento products, fresh string cheese and Swag. But there are other specialty food items, like candy, pretzels and honey, since it is open to the public. Another fun attraction inside is the Sargento ‘Cheese Chopper.' Lou and Louie drove the yellow, cheese hole-painted Harley-Davidson during the Harley 100th anniversary parade and the Sargento 50th anniversary parade which both happened in 2003. It's signed by legendary Green Bay Packers like Marco Rivera. It's been in storage for many years, but this new venue gives it a chance to shine for fun photo ops.

“When Louie reached out to me about his thoughts on moving the cheese store and naming it after my grandfather Francis, it certainly moved me. We then had breakfast with Lou, Louie, my dad (Dick Baker) and myself, and they shared the plans with us for this store. Now, my dad’s not a very emotional guy, but he had tears in his eyes that day," said Brian. “We're extremely proud to have Grandpa Francis’ name on this cheese store. It symbolizes the partnership and the legacies of the Sargento Family and the Baker family across generations and will continue to for generations to come.”

Members of the Fond du Lac Chamber joined the celebration along with employees from St. Cloud like Master Cheesemaker Tim Entringer and Plant Manager Dale Karls. Louie's team - our CEO Staff - also attended the celebration.  Louie thanked the engineering team and the many other members of the Sargento Family who brought the store to life. Brian gave a shout out to Angela Farley and Melissa Wittgreve who now run the store, for the time they have spent creating a pleasant experience for employees and guests.

Follow @SargentoFamily on Instagram to see more photos and video of the day! Click here for directions to the new Sargento Francis Baker Cheese Store!