NAICS 311513 Quarterly Industry Report
Cheese Manufacturing
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 311513Sector: 31Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 311513 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing cheese manufacturing businesses. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[7], U.S. Census Bureau[8].. Data is sourced from USDA[6] dairy production statistics, FDA[9] cheese standards and labeling regulations, and SBA size standards[10] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for cheese manufacturing enterprises.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the cheese manufacturing industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Cheese Manufacturing (NAICS 311513) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing natural cheese, processed cheese, cheese spreads, cheese food, and cheese substitutes from raw milk, processed milk products, and nondairy substances. Operations include receiving raw milk, standardizing milk fat content, adding cultures and rennet to form curds, pressing and aging cheese, and packaging finished products for retail, foodservice, and industrial ingredient distribution. The U.S. Census Bureau[5] classifies cheese manufacturing separately from fluid milk (NAICS 311511), butter (NAICS 311512), and cottage cheese production, recognizing the distinct fermentation and aging processes involved.
The United States is one of the world's largest cheese producers and consumers, with per-capita consumption continuing to grow driven by pizza, snacking, foodservice, and specialty cheese demand. Industry USDA[6] tracks cheese production volumes, pricing, and trade data through the National Agricultural Statistics Service, while federal milk marketing orders set minimum raw milk prices that directly affect manufacturer input costs. Product diversity ranges from commodity cheddar and mozzarella to artisan aged varieties, organic options, and plant-based cheese alternatives.
Business valuations for cheese manufacturers focus on raw milk procurement costs under federal marketing order pricing, cheese-making plant capacity and aging cave or warehouse inventory, brand recognition within specialty and commodity segments, and distribution relationships with retail grocery, pizza chains, and foodservice distributors. Appraisers evaluate milk-to-cheese yield efficiency, aging inventory carrying costs, product mix between natural and processed cheese, private-label manufacturing volume, and competitive positioning across commodity, specialty, and organic market tiers.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for cheese manufacturing operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across natural cheese, processed cheese, specialty and artisan, organic, and plant-based cheese alternative segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 311513
- Comparable transaction data from recent cheese company acquisitions, dairy brand sales, and processing facility purchases
- Market analysis covering per-capita cheese consumption growth, specialty cheese trends, pizza demand drivers, and organic market expansion
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for cheese makers, aging room managers, packaging operators, and quality control technicians
- Industry risk assessment including raw milk price volatility, aging inventory carrying costs, import competition, and consumer dairy alternative shifts
- Regulatory compliance overview covering USDA cheese grading standards, FDA labeling and composition requirements, and dairy plant sanitation rules
- Capital expenditure profiles for pasteurization vats, cheese-making equipment, pressing systems, aging facilities, cutting and packaging lines
- Production metrics including milk-to-cheese yield ratios, aging times by variety, production line throughput, and cost per pound benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Food Manufacturing | 311 |
| Industry Group | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 3115 |
| NAICS Industry | Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing | 31151 |
| National Industry | Cheese Manufacturing | 311513 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 311511 | Fluid Milk Manufacturing | Fluid milk manufacturing operations supplying standardized milk and cream to cheese production facilities within integrated and independent dairy processing operations |
| 311512 | Creamery Butter Manufacturing | Creamery butter manufacturers sharing raw milk supply chains with cheese producers and competing for butterfat allocation from dairy farm cooperatives |
| 311514 | Dry, Condensed, and Evaporated Dairy Product Manufacturing | Dry and condensed dairy product manufacturers processing whey and other cheese-making byproducts into whey protein powder and lactose ingredients |
| 112120 | Dairy Cattle and Milk Production | Dairy cattle and milk production farms supplying raw milk through cooperative structures and federal marketing order pricing to cheese manufacturing plants |
| 424430 | Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers | Dairy product merchant wholesalers distributing cheese from manufacturing plants to retail grocers, pizza chains, and foodservice distributor customers |
| 722511 | Full-Service Restaurants | Full-service restaurants and pizza establishments purchasing cheese products in volume as menu ingredients driving strong foodservice demand for mozzarella and other varieties |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | 31.4% | 177 |
| 2 | California | 9.6% | 54 |
| 3 | New York | 7.1% | 40 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 4.1% | 23 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 4.1% | 23 |
| 6 | Ohio | 4.1% | 23 |
| 7 | Minnesota | 3.5% | 20 |
| 8 | Vermont | 3.2% | 18 |
| 9 | Illinois | 3.0% | 17 |
| 10 | Texas | 2.5% | 14 |
% Of Establishments
0%
31%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
48
Total SBA Loans
$62.4M
Total Loan Volume
$1.3M
Average Loan Size
12 yrs
Average Loan Term
9.29%
Average Interest Rate
4,256
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: The SBA[11] classifies Cheese Manufacturing (NAICS 311513) with a size standard of 1,250 employees. Cheese producers within this threshold qualify for SBA-backed lending[12] and government contracting preferences, including USDA commodity procurement programs purchasing cheese for school lunch, military, and federal nutrition assistance programs. Eligible businesses can access SBA 7(a) loans[13] for working capital, equipment, and acquisition financing, while 504 loans[14] support major fixed-asset purchases including real estate and heavy machinery.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port 51 Lending LLC | 8 | $26.7M | $3.3M |
| 2 | Peoples Bank | 16 | $25.7M | $1.6M |
| 3 | Truliant FCU | 8 | $6.4M | $800K |
| 4 | KeyBank National Association | 8 | $2.4M | $300K |
| 5 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp. | 8 | $1.2M | $150K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for cheese manufacturing?
Cheese Manufacturing is classified under NAICS code 311513, covering natural, processed, and specialty cheese production per the U.S. Census Bureau[5] industry classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for cheese manufacturing?
The SBA[11] sets the size standard for NAICS 311513 at 1,250 employees, qualifying eligible cheese manufacturers for small business lending programs and government contracting preferences.
How are cheese manufacturing businesses valued?
Valuations focus on plant capacity, raw milk procurement costs, aging inventory, brand recognition, and distribution relationships per USDA[6] dairy production and market data.
What products does NAICS 311513 cover?
Products include natural cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss), processed cheese, cheese spreads, cheese food products, and nondairy cheese substitutes per U.S. Census Bureau[5] definitions.
What drives U.S. cheese consumption growth?
Per-capita cheese consumption continues growing driven by pizza demand, snacking formats, specialty and artisan varieties, foodservice incorporation into menu items, and growing Hispanic and ethnic cuisine usage.
What risks affect cheese manufacturers?
Major risks include raw milk price volatility through federal marketing orders, aging inventory carrying costs, import competition from European cheeses, private-label pricing pressure, and dairy alternative products.
What regulations apply to cheese manufacturing?
How large is the artisan cheese market?
Artisan and specialty cheese represents a growing premium segment, with hundreds of craft producers competing alongside industrial manufacturers for consumer interest in aged, local, and imported varieties.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]USDA usda.gov
- [7]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [8]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [9]FDA fda.gov
- [10]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [11]SBA sba.gov
- [12]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [13]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [14]504 loans sba.gov
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