Sartori Cheese, a fourth-generation family-owned artisanal cheese company, is accelerating its international growth and expanding its reach to new consumers across South Korea through its partnership with American retail, technology and Fortune 150 company Coupang.
“Our mission has always been to make the best cheese in the world and we have built our business around quality — from the milk we source to the craftsmanship that goes into every wheel of cheese,” said Bert Sartori, CEO of Sartori Cheese. “We have spent more than a decade building international sales, but partnering with Coupang has allowed us to reach Korean consumers faster and at a scale that was previously out of reach. Expanding our customer base overseas directly supports our partner family farms, our local workforce and our long-standing cheesemaking tradition here in Plymouth.”
Sartori’s newly-formed relationship with Coupang has provided a powerful accelerator for its growth with customers in Asia. By leveraging Coupang’s unique logistics infrastructure, Sartori is able to introduce flagship products like SarVecchio® Parmesan and BellaVitano® varieties directly to Korean households. With a population of more than 51 million people, Korea is Wisconsin’s third largest overseas agricultural market.
Coupang makes exporting easy for U.S. businesses
Coupang’s logistics network enables Sartori to move its cheese to consumers in Asia efficiently. Customer orders in Korea are delivered through Rocket Fresh, the country’s premier online grocer. This efficiency provides American producers the opportunity to offer high-value perishable agricultural goods, which are sensitive to transit times, to millions of customers.
Ken Kane, Sartori Cheese master cheesemaker, inspects aging cheese wheels.
The challenges associated with exporting are significant for many U.S. businesses like Sartori, ranging from international marketing to shipping, customs paperwork, foreign regulations and the logistics of last mile delivery. U.S. businesses need a reliable and innovative partner that can provide a seamless, turnkey export process.
This is precisely what Coupang does for thousands of U.S. businesses exporting their products to Korea and Taiwan. Coupang has invested billions of dollars in artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, automation, infrastructure and technological innovations to support the growth of its global operations and make exporting simple and easy for U.S. businesses. Overall, Coupang helped generate more than $5 billion in sales of U.S. goods and services overseas in 2025 alone.
In 2021, Plymouth erected and dedicated an official downtown archway over Mill Street proclaiming Plymouth to be the “Cheese Capital of the World.”
“Sartori’s success demonstrates how world-class products from rural communities in Wisconsin and across America can succeed in global markets,” said Coupang Head of Global Public Policy Scott Jacobs. “Coupang is working with thousands of U.S. businesses and brands to eliminate traditional trade barriers so that customers around the world can enjoy innovative American agricultural products like Sartori Cheese.”
Expanding global trade boosts Wisconsin dairy industry
For domestic agriculture and food manufacturers, foreign market access can serve as an engine for state and local growth. As appetite for premium American food products continues to grow across Asia, access to established digital distribution networks is proving critical for domestic producers seeking to capture new market share.
The cows at Majestic Crossing Dairy send 150,000 gallons of milk to Sartori Cheese daily.
“Wisconsin is world-renowned for its dairy craftsmanship, but expanding into overseas markets often presents complex logistical hurdles for state producers,” said Rebekah Sweeney, senior director of public policy and education at the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. “Technology and logistics partners like Coupang can help bridge that gap by connecting American companies with customers and making the process more efficient. For established manufacturers like Sartori, this type of relationship can help turn international interest into actual sales and long-term market opportunities.”
Local Wisconsin dairy farms power global exports
Behind Sartori’s international footprint is a local supply chain grounded entirely in Wisconsin agriculture and craftsmanship. Sartori sources fresh milk from family farms located within 75 miles of its Plymouth facilities, converting local dairy into finished cheese within hours of collection. Among these partners is Majestic Crossing Dairy, which supplies Sartori with roughly 150,000 gallons of milk each day.
“As local dairy farmers, our top priority is caring for our 2,000-head herd and producing the highest quality milk possible,” said Darin Strauss, co-owner of Majestic Crossing Dairy. “Knowing that our milk is crafted into world-class cheese and served on dinner tables halfway around the world in Korea is incredible.”
Sartori Cheese ships cheese from Wisconsin to homes all over the world.
“The cheese making heritage here is what defines Wisconsin, and we’re fortunate to have access to some of the best milk in the country,” said Ken Kane, a master cheesemaker who has worked at Sartori for two decades. “As cheesemakers, that challenges us to create the best cheese possible. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our cheese enjoyed on dinner tables across Asia and elsewhere.”
Today, the Sartori team is seeking new markets all over the world to share the cheese that comes from four generations of cheesemaking excellence. They’ve already found success in Korea, where the Sartori brand is quickly becoming a mainstay thanks to the company’s partnership with Coupang.
Frequently asked questions
How does the partnership between Sartori Cheese and Coupang work?
Sartori Cheese crafts its artisanal cheeses in Wisconsin using fresh, locally sourced milk, while Coupang helps handle the export and local delivery process in Korea to deliver Sartori's cheeses to Korean consumers. Through Coupang’s Rocket Fresh online grocery network, Sartori reaches customers in South Korea quickly, while Coupang helps manage shipping, logistics, customs paperwork, foreign regulations and international marketing.
How does Coupang help U.S. businesses overcome traditional exporting challenges?
Exporting perishable agricultural products often involves complex barriers, including transit times, last-mile delivery, regulatory compliance and cross-border logistics. Coupang leverages its tech-driven infrastructure — backed by investments in AI, robotics and automation — to create a seamless export pipeline that generated over $5 billion in overseas sales for U.S. goods and services in 2025.
Why is exporting to South Korea significant for Sartori Cheese and local Wisconsin farmers?
South Korea is Wisconsin’s third-largest overseas agricultural market. Expanding into Asia creates new demand for Sartori’s flagship products, which directly supports Wisconsin-based manufacturing jobs and local family farms — such as Majestic Crossing Dairy, which supplies Sartori with about 150,000 gallons of milk daily.
