Our History
Since it all started in 1952, Marathon Cheese Corporation has been a leader in the cheese packaging industry. Learn more about our rich history of family, cheese and innovation that helped us get to where we are today.
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1952
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The Start of it All
In the summer of 1952, Ray and Marie Goldbach began packaging cheese in the basement of Marie’s parents’ home. They hired 10 employees and set up the first production line.
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1953
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Plant 1
We moved from the basement to Plant 1 on 2nd Street in Marathon City, Wisconsin.
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1954
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Marathon Cheese Corp.
We became incorporated as our customer base began to expand across the state of Wisconsin.
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1950s
& '60s![]()
Waxed Horn Innovation
The first of many innovations, our waxed horns and bars transformed the cheese industry and were custom dipped, cut and stamped at the existing Marathon City plant.
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1962
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A New Location
We opened the doors of our Booneville, Mississippi location in the fall of 1962. The plant expanded by an additional 3,500 square feet the following year.
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1965
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Our Second Wisconsin Plant
We welcomed 1965 with the opening of our second Wisconsin plant in Muscoda.
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1969
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Our Third Wisconsin Plant
Our Medford, Wisconsin plant opened in 1969 and became our third location in Wisconsin.
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1970
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Packaging Innovation
Our innovation continued as we introduced 640-pound block cutting machines and explored the variations of slice cutting.
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1975
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An Expanding Fleet
The early days of our transporation division began with a private fleet of five trucks.
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1985
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Marathon People of the Year
Ray and Marie Goldbach received the "Marathon People of the Year" award by the Marathon City Business Association.
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1988
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Shifting Gears
Our Muscoda, Wisconsin plant closed this year as we shifted focus to our other locations.
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1988
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Supporting Our Community
Ray and Marie helped establish the Marathon Area Swim Association in hopes of educating the community about proper swimming and swimming safety.
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1991
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Setting the Industry Pace
Ray Goldbach was featured in Fortune magazine for "setting the fastest pace in cheese packaging."
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1997
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Among the Best
Forbes magazine named Marathon Cheese one of the nation's 500 biggest private companies.
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1997
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Remembering Ray Goldbach
Ray Goldbach passed away on September 26, 1997, leaving behind a growing business and an award-winning legacy.
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1997
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Bulk Cheese? No Problem
Our innovation of slicing and shredding bulk food service products began this year and continues to this day.
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2000
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On The Move
36 years after commencing operations in Booneville, Mississippi, the plant expanded its operations to a larger, more efficient facility.
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2000
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New Millennium, New Innovations
We welcomed the new millennium with a handful of innovations including snacks, slider zipper, stand-up pouch, nuggets and thin cubes.
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2001
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Medford Has A New Plant
We built a new state-of-the-art plant in the city's business park. The plant provided for 188,000 square feet of production and warehouse space.
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2002
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50 Years Of Excellence
Marathon Cheese celebrates 50 years. In the words of Ray Goldbach, "I don't say I, I say we. I didn't do this on my own, we did this together." We did. We do.
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2002
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Seamless Transportation
Marathon Cheese Transport, LLC was formed.
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2007
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Hello, Idaho
Our Mountain Home, Idaho location opened with 210,000 square feet of space.
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2010
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Robotics
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2015
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Continuing innovation in Material Handling
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2018
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Cold Storage Warehouse Expansion
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2018
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Expanding Fleet
Our Transportation Fleet expanded to the Mountain Home facility. Pictured is our first Mountain Home tractor arriving at our facility.
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2020
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Remembering our Founders
In July of 2020, Marie Goldbach passed away at the age of 99. Although a void is felt in our community, the legacy left lives on and continues to grow to this day.
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Now
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Innovation Continues Into Current Day
Continuous upgrades of our facilities, packaging equipment and automation allow us to produce innovative solutions for our customers.
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Now
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Facility Upgrades
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Next
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Our Next Innovation
Starts with you! Help develop the future of Marathon Cheese and explore the exciting, cutting-edge field of natural cheese packaging.
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