For the first time in nearly 60 years, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese is expanding! This week, the family-owned company began construction on a new production and distribution facility in Petaluma, California, 22 miles east of its headquarters in Point Reyes. Once completed, the facility will house a second creamery and aging warehouse as well as the company’s distribution center.
“We are quickly reaching production capacity on the farm and want the ability to respond to increasing demand for our products in the marketplace. My sisters and I thought long and hard about if and how we would grow the company,” says Lynn Giacomini Stray, Co-Owner and COO.
Pasteurized cheeses will be the facility’s specialty, according to a press release, including Fresh Mozzarella, Toma, Bay Blue, and Gouda. Point Reyes’ flagship, Original Blue, will continue to be made on the farm in Point Reyes, but packaging and distribution of the full product line will move to the Petaluma location.
“My grandfather, Tobias Giacomini, came from Italy to this country over a 100 years ago and raised seven children on his chicken farm, not far from our new location,” Bob Giacomini, Founder. “Expanding our company to Petaluma brings our family story full circle, back to where it all started.”
The company shared that construction is estimated to take six months, and hopes to be making cheese and distributing its complete product line from the new location by the end of the year.
“The move to Petaluma allows us to increase both the volume and variety of cheeses we produce, be more accessible to our network of distributor partners and to attract employees to a more convenient, suburban location, right along the Hwy 101 corridor,” added Diana Giacomini Hagan, Co-Owner and CFO.
This move can only mean more delicious Bay Blue in my future, so here’s to further growth from this California cheese staple.
