Keith Schuman discusses animal-free dairy

As a fourth-generation member of a family known worldwide, Schuman knows a thing or two about cheese and about honoring his family legacy. He joined his father, Schuman Cheese CEO Neal Schuman, on his first sales call at the age of 11, an experience he recalls at the time being “mostly boring.”

However, it planted the seeds for something more. In college, Schuman had plans to forge his own career path. His intent was never to go straight into the family business, but when job offers started percolating during his senior year, none held the allure of working for — and learning from — his dad. Now, years into working in the family business, Schuman’s role took an unexpected turn, but one that’s allowed him to develop an even deeper passion for the family-run Schuman Cheese Co.

As the business unit lead, Schuman sets the strategic direction of the brand, which includes all of the financial reporting, investment considerations and overall operations. He works closely with the company’s Innovation group to figure out which of their never-ending ideas are most likely to succeed in the cheese market.

In this podcast, Schuman discusses the following:

• Schuman Cheese’s long nearly 80-year history.
• The dairy-free, non-dairy and vegan market today.
• What trends are driving the non-dairy cheese industry and what new products Schuman is offering.
• What the future for non-dairy might look like.
• A look at the overall dairy industry and thriving cheese category. DF

Keith Schuman, business unit lead at Schuman Cheese, Fairfield, N.J., joins us for Episode 28 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy” podcast to talk about animal-free dairy.