HCM-NQ Factbook 2019

FACT BOOK
We Are An Expert
Hispanic Cheese &
Dairy Manufacturer
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when you see it to activate a link!

FACT BOOK
N Q
ABOUT US
We Are An Expert Hispanic Cheese & Dairy Manufacturer
And The Former Owners Of Nuestro Queso Brand
COMPANY
HEADQUARTERS:
Chicago, IL
Founded in 2009, we are an award-winning
Illinois based Private Label & Co - Packing
Hispanic cheese manufacturer for national
retailers, top brands, and distributors.
PLANT:
Kent, IL
NUMBERS OF EMPLOYEES: 89
We offer the highest quality & most extensive
Mexican, Caribbean and Central American
cheese and creams product assortment
crafted with care and a personal sense of
ownership using milk free of rBST hormones.
A
Did you know?
Our private label brands have a
track record of success competing
vs. Regional Brands.
• Mark Braun, CEO
• Jason Brinkman,
VP of Operations/Plant Manager
• Ken Marks, CFO
• Arturo Nava, Marketing Director

B
Did you know?
Our products are widely recognized
as America’s best in quality,
freshness, and great taste. In fact,
Nuestro Queso has won 15 medals
in cheese industry competitions
since 2011.
Did you know?
Nuestro Queso started as a brand
and is now one of the most
popular Hispanic cheese brands
in the country with a growing
presence in the Midwest,
Southeast and Northeast.
C
Our clients know us as a trusted and knowledgeable Hispanic cheese/dairy
private label manufacturer because of our state-of-the-art SQF Level 3
certified plant and from our experience as former owners of
Nuestro Queso® – the award-winning Hispanic cheese brand.
Trusted
co-packer
and private
label supplier
to top brands
A Short History
About HCM
Hispanic Cheese Makers - Nuestro Queso®
is an award winning co-packer and private
label supplier of Hispanic cheeses.
We are the former owners of
Nuestro Queso® the award-winning
Hispanic cheese brand.
Hispanic Cheese Makers - Nuestro Queso® is widely recognized as a safe and
trusted supplier because of our SQF Level 3 certified plant, our award winning
Hispanic cheese recipes and our superior levels of service, flexibility and innovation.

PRODUCTS
& PACKAGING
Did you know?
We provide a wide array of
packaging options to meet
your diverse cheese and
dairy product needs.
D
Did you know?
We offer 18 types of packaging
and formats to meet all of your
packaging needs.
E
Types Of Packaging And Formats
Printed Film Bag Clear Bags Multivac Cryovac Loaf Wheel
Square Rounds Buckets Wedges Cups Sticks
Jars Cream Bags Tubs Quarters Balls Coils
Flexibility & Customization
We Can Create Many Types Of Case And Pallet Configurations
To Help Keep Your Freight Costs Down

Interesting Facts
#1 - 6
PRODUCTS
& PACKAGING
Oaxaca is our #2 best seller!
at 18%!
Fresco has the largest share
of Hispanic cheese!
1
2
We Meet All
Your Deli, Dairy,
And FoodService
Needs
Multi-Chanel Hispanic
Dairy Solutions
Cotija/Oaxaca lead in
market share growth!
3
Deli
Hispanic Cheese market share
is growing fast at (+9.3%)!
4
Oaxaca, Mexican, Manchego, and
Cotija are the four fastest growing
cheeses in the US!!
5
Dairy
Natural cheese & cream sales
are growing fast while processed
cheese is declining!
6
Food Service
Our plant is a world class dairy SQF Level 3
Quality certified manufacturing facility for
co-packing, and private label products. SQF is a
global food safety initiative program, it is the gold
standard for food safety from farm to fork.

F
Did you Know?
Our sour creams have an scored
an overall rating better for taste
and texture than our competiors.
MEXICAN &
CENTRAL AMERICAN
CREAMS
Our sour creams
have an authentic
taste that will
remind you of
those that you can
find in Mexico &
Central America.
CHEE
PARA FREIR
Para Freir (frying)
cheese is a firm,
mild cheese
most commonly used
for frying. It is
appreciated for its
ability to fry without
any breaking.
COOKING
COTIJA
Cotija is a dry grating
cheese similar to
Parmesan. It is an
aged cheese, packed
with flavor and zest
that gets better with time.
AGED
CHEESES
Did you Know?
Queso Oaxaca maintains possesses
exceptional melting characteristics
and rich flavor.
I
OAXACA
Oaxaca (Wa-ha-ka) cheese is
Mexico’s most popular cheese
because it melts and strings like no
other when heated, forming delicious
long strings when pulled.
& CRE

SES
PANELA
Panela is a fresh cheese.
It is referred to as the
“flower of the milk” Its
elegant texture and
exquisite taste helped
earn silver medals in the
U.S. Cheese Championship.
FRESCO
G
Did you Know?
Panela is a fresh cheese. Also
known in Latin American countries
as Queso de Canasta, or
“basket cheese” because it is
actually formed in a basket mold.
FRESH
Fresco cheese is a
fresh semi-soft
cheese that is slightly
salted and cream
with a mild smooth
flavor. It is a traditional
Mexican farmer’s
cheese.
MELTING
BLANCO
Queso Blanco is a
very popular
Caribbean cheese.
It is mild, firm yet
smooth in texture and
softens without
melting. This culinary
wonder doesn’t separate
into solids and oils when
heated or grilled.
AMS
QUESADILLA
Quesadilla Cheese is with
exceptional melting properties
and a smooth creamy flavor.
When it melts, it becomes
quite creamy.
H
Did you Know?
Ideal Quesadilla should be neutral
flavor, similar to a mild cheddar or
Monterey Jack, with buttery notes.

Fresco
In traditional Hispanic
dishes that require
crumbling cheese
such as salads, tacos,
enchiladas, flautas,
sopes, soups, pasta,
sautéed meats,
or vegetables.
Cotija
Cotija is strongly
flavored and firm,
and it is used to add
lively garnishing to
common dishes like
refried beans, salads,
pasta, chili, or can be
used to add zest to
Mac and Cheese!
PRODUCT LINE
& APPLICATIONS
Quesadilla
Style
It is the perfect less
greasy melting
cheese for your
queso fundido,
quesadillas,
and even burgers
Panela
Serve crumbled over
tacos, tortas,
cremitas, huaraches,
or any Mexican style
dinner. Serve it cubed
with fruit or salads.
Oaxaca
It is a cheese used in
a variety of recipes
and is especially
popular roasted or
baked in Mexican
dishes. It is also
excellent in
quesadillas or
stuffed peppers.
Blanco
Blanco is very popular
in the Caribbean, firm,
and yet smooth in
texture,very similar to
Nuestro Queso Fresco.
Great to Grill, Fry, or
Deep Fried. Great
company for fresh fruits, j
ams, or salads.
Para Freir
Cover slices with
cornstarch and shake
off excess, pan fry both
sides in hot oil until
golden brown. Goes
great with fruits,
salads, jams, or any
dishes that require a
fresh crumbled
cheese.
Mexican &
Central
American
Creams
Use as a topping for
pupusas, grilled corn,
sweet plantain,
enchiladas and all other
Central American &
Mexican dishes that
require sour cream.
Click on this symbol when you see it
to go the recipe!

No rBST
HORMONES
Sustainability is Embedded
We use rBST Free Milk From Local Farmers.
We make our
quesos with great
care & artisanship.
All our cheeses are
made from rBST
free milk sourced
from local farmers
that care about the
well-being of their
animals.
No Hormone rBST
SIN HORMONA rBST
J
Did you know?
Nuestro Queso cheeses have won
15 cheese industry medals in just
5 years, just imagine what we can
do for you.
Awards
K
Did you know?
Hispanic Cheese Makers -
Nuestro Queso has been awarded
some of the best in industry
medals because of the authentic
recipes, great taste and our
adherence to the highest quality
standards.
Award-Winning Cheeses: Oaxaca Ball, Oaxaca Strips, Para Fundir,
Fresco, Panela, Para Freir, Fresco Enchilado, Blanco, and Cotija.

Food Trends
7
30% of Top 500
Restaurant Chains
offer Tacos.
Interesting F
Did You
48% Of Cons
See More Re
Food & Snac
8
Menu mentions of
Chilaquiles Grew 9.4%.
9
50% of Consumers Are Interested In Salvadoran Pupusas
& Venezuelan Arepas, 50% of Consumers Are Interested In
Salvadoran pupusas & Venezuelan Arepas.
CONSUME
FOOD AND
CHEESE T
Pupusas
Thick corn tortillas
filled w/savory
filling beans and cheese)
Arepas
Corn-based dough
rounds filled w/meat,
veggies, cheese and salsa
Did You K
Hispanics are m
make stock up
(3.4 vs 2.5 US s
Consumer Trends
10
Hispanics enjoy grocery
shopping more than other
demographics
(72% vs 61%US shoppers).
Did You Know?
Hispanics consumers aver
3.3 meals/day
(vs 2.8 for US shoppers)

acts #7- 15
Cheese Trends
Know?
umers Want To
gional Hispanic
ks On Menus
L
15
Increasing
Demand for Full Fat
Cheese & Cream is
Driving Sales.
R,
RENDS
14
Consumers
Experience New Cheeses
at Restaurants and then
Look for Them At Retail.
Natural Cheese & Cream Sales
Are Growing Fast While
Processed Cheese is Declining
now?
ore likely to
trips
hoppers)
M
13
Hispanic Cheeses Are The
Fastest Growing Cheeses in the
US, Oaxaca , Mexican, Manchego
and Cotija lead the way.
12
Natural Cheese has grown
14.5% in last 5 years , more
informative and less cluttered
labels.
N
age
11
Hispanics have /
larger growing families /
shop with family more/
eat dinner more at home.

CUSTOMERS
Well Known Retail & Food Brands
Are Growing Their Hispanic Cheese Business
With Our Best-In-Class Products !
Did you know? #2
Type Of Customers
Top Brand Manufacturers
Top Retailers
Distributors
Food Service

Did you know?
Our co-packing & private label
business drives down average
manufacturing costs and
creates long term brand value.
O
Did you know?
Our co-packing & private label
business increases capacity
utilization and supports
manufacturing overhead.
P
Nuestro Queso Is A Top 3 Brand In The Midwest
With A Growing Presence In The Southeast.
Channels
• Independent Retail
(Hispanic Market)
• Grocery Chains
(Mainstream)
• Mass Merchandisers
• Institutional & Foodservice
Key Retailers
• Whole Foods
• Mariano’s
• HyVee
• Target
• Food 4 Less
• Jewel
• Strack & Van

PLANT &
PRODUCTION
N Q
We U
I
Total Plant Space
75K
Square Feet
Warehouse
We have a new ware
house where the
entire distribution
process begins
State Of The Art
Production Equipment
Closed vat systems.
Automated de-wheying belt system.
Automated salting systems
Extensive grade A
automated/computer
In House= Lower
Cost+Less Risk
Shredding on-site.
Grating on-site.
Quality Assurance
Packaging Innovation
Multivac roll stock machinery,
Cryovac packaging equipment
Steam tunnel,
Full quality
control team
and in house lab.
Intense
Environmental
Testing.
Automatic labelers
Workf
We bring together authentic
artisanship with
state-of-the-art
manufacturing systems which
enable us to produce dairy
products with the authentic
taste, freshness, quality, and
value that our customers want.
Did you know?
Our many awards prove we
make the best Hispanic
cheese in the country
Q
91 em

se Only The Best Ingredients And Authentic Recipes
nteresting Facts #16 - 21
We produce many types of cheeses
and creams in large quantities.
16
Hispanic Cheese Makers
At Your Service
We Can Deliver!
We can design your packaging
17
from scratch or adapt your existing
artwork to your new product packaging
so it will stand out on the shelf.
We can create many types of case
and pallet configurations to help
keep your freight costs down.
18
On Time Deliveries
No Hormone rBST
SIN HORMONA rBST
We use rBST free milk from local
farmers. Our cheeses are made
with care and artisanship using
authentic recipes.
Nuestro Queso® also completed
the SQF Level 3 certification in 2018.
19
20
Orders Fulfilled In Full
orce
Through our quality/food safety
team/ sanitation dept we do
pre-operation inspections to ensure
equipment cleanliness.
21
Highest Quality Guaranteed
ployees.
Hours worked
per year:
187K
worked/year.
Hundreds of years of
combined cheese making
experience.
1998
2004
2008
2014
2018

Interesting Facts #22 - 30
The plant produces
5k lbs
24
cheese/hour.
gallons of milk/vat of
cheese makes
5000
lbs cheese.
22 23 24
Our cheese is
made/processed in
3.5 hours
for fresh cheeses.
25 26 27
4200 Water Usage All our
15,600,000
gallons of
water/year
In a year
72,000,000
pounds of milk/year =
9.3
million lbs of
cheese/year
milk
is rBST free,
antibiotic tested,
temperature tested.
28 29 30
Each vat is artisan
style made with
in-process checks
and controls to
ensure product
safety quality
and freshness.
Through our
quality/food safety
team/ sanitation
dept do
per-operation
inspections to
ensure equipment
cleanliness.
We have our own
truck making
deliveries
more convenient
and affordable to
customers.

Our modern plant
is highly efficient
with unique
capabilities for new
products
development,
shredding, grating,
and much more!
We Help Our Clients Win With Innovation
Driving Convenience, Familiarity, And Premium-ness
To Attract A Wider Base Of Customers
Did you know?
We are a make to order facility
we have specific formulas and
product specs that we review
through R&D process we are
able to meet specific product
specs for more customized
products
R
Did you know?
Our private labels can/do
produce with us many types
of cheeses and creams in
large quantities.
S

Quality Assurance Process
We Have High Quality Assurance Standards
Interesting F
31
32
SQF Level 3
Certified
World Class Food
Safety Certification for
dairy products.
Preventive
Approach
Monitor product in
process to prevent
quality issues.
Level 3
Did you k
Nuestro Ques
highest stand
your product
We rely on the
quality assura
experienced t
specialists.
Hygiene
Program
Ensures workers
follow strict hygiene
measures to avoid
product contamination.
Continuing
Guarantee
Compliant to FDA
acts and California rules
33
34
QUAL
We put all our attention a
assurance process, to ass
enjoy only, the best produ
35
Established
Quality KPIs
Quality First Pass:
Make it ready
to sell the first time.
Cleaning Effectiveness
Verification:
Ensures cleanliness
of plant equipment.
Food
Safety Culture
All plant personnel
is trained on written
food safety and hazard
analysis plans
(HACCP plan),
pest control
and sanitation
36
Did you know
The company expe
production from 9
pounds of cheese
pounds of cheese
without using mor
the company did p
improvements

acts #31 - 40
now?
o adheres to the
ards to ensure
quality and safety.
expertise of our
nce lab with
echnicians and
T
Environmental
Program
Monitoring of equipment
and floor for bacteria.
Positive Release
Program
Ensures that all products
clear pathogen testing
before release.
37
38
ITY
nd care into our quality
ure that our customers
cts.
39
40
Food Defense &
Security Program
Prevents unauthorized
people to access product
and transportation to
protect finished product
from contamination.
Good
Manufacturing
Practices
Program Utility
Utilizes best practices for
manufacturing to
prevent food
contamination.
USDA
Certified:
Achieved high
satisfactory
score
AIB audit
approved
Certified by
Silliker
?
cts to double
million
to 18 million
annually
e water than
rior to the
U
Compliance
with 3rd
party audits
Food
Safety
Illinois
Department
of Public
Health
Inspected
High safety
standards:
(OSHA approved)
Food safety
systems audit
with a 97.6%
SCORE

SUSTAINABILITY
& COMMUNITY IMPACT
V
Did you know?
Daily Hispanic Cheese Makers -
Nuestro Queso® uses 60,000
gallons of water, most of which
cleans the equipment and vats
that produce 9 million pounds of
Hispanic Cheese each year.
Water Re-use Program
W
Did you know?
The new lagoons, which will
hold 22 million gallons of water,
that is nearly eight times more
than that of the original lagoons.
Estimated cost of inspection, design, and construction of the
wastewater treatment operation was in the seven figures.
This project will keep us moving
forward to a sustainable future.

Sustainability Is Embedded
Across Our Company
Our Best
Efforts
Towards
Sustainability
Crop
Irrigation
Sprayer
High
Efficiency
Lights
Recycling
rBST
Free
Milk
Preserving and
renewing our
natural resources
is our responsibility:
We are expanding
our lagoon system
to treat waste water
and use it for the
irrigation of adjacent
crop land.
Our high efficiency
lights use 25%-80%
less energy than
traditional
incandescent light
bulbs.
We recycle
everything we can
including: paper,
wood, plastic, glass,
oil, water, batteries.
We have established
cost-effective,
environmentally
responsible
recycling efforts to
reduce our carbon
footprint.
We make our
quesos with great
care & artisanship.
All our cheeses are
made from rBST
free milk sourced
from local farmers
that care about the
well-being of their
animals.
X
Did you know?
Treated wastewater has nitrogen
and phosphorus, which feeds crops
and can reduce the amount of
fertilizer needed, saving farmers
money.
1 2
3 4

Start your Hispanic dairy brand Today !
Hispanic Cheese Makers (Nuestro Queso) makes it easy to start a new
private label/co-pack project or to make a change from your existing supplier.
Our superior quality products, state-of-the-art manufacturing,
and product innovation will drive your sales growth.
SALES
100 South Wacker Drive
Suite 1950, Chicago, IL 60606
t (224) 366-4320
f (224) 366-4329
PLANT
752 Kent Road
Kent, IL 61044
t (815) 443-2100
f (815) 443-2133
Toll Free 1-877-794-2525