SOMIC Packaging brings Decades of Expertise to the CheeseExpo

Inver Grove Heights, MN. – March 30, 2026 – Of all the products that require packaging, cheese is among the most difficult items to handle. Having 52 years of experience of working with it makes end-of-line packaging equipment manufacturer SOMIC Packaging, Inc. a leading authority in the industry. It’s a message that will be explained on stage and in booth 430 when CheeseExpo returns to the Baird Center in Milwaukee, April 14-16. 

SOMIC representatives will talk about how the company began working with the dairy industry in 1974, and how the industry and packaging have evolved together over the years. For that very reason, SOMIC Packaging CEO Peter Fox, will be speaking on Wednesday, April 15. His presentation, Retailers Move Fast, You Need to Move Faster: Packaging Agility Today, takes place on Exhibit Stage A starting at 3 p.m. 

“We have spent decades learning and understanding all of the intricacies to working with cheese. It has given us a deeper knowledge about the entire cheese-making process and the product itself that you can’t replicate overnight,” said Fox, a 35-year veteran of the packaging industry. 

Adapting to Change and Building for the Future 

Since it is a living product, Fox says cheese behaves differently. Since the differences with the varieties is huge, packaging block, sliced, or shredded cheese all pose their own individual set of challenges. 

“We don’t just build case packers at SOMIC. Over a half century, we’ve learned how to understand cheese from the inside out. And what we’ve learned from working with each customer impacts every new machine platform we build,” explained Fox. 

“The new 434 SuperFlex compact case packer we introduced six months ago reflects our strategy. It can produce nearly every major retail packaging configuration possible because - like with cheese - it was purposely built for inconsistent sizes, shapes, and packing patterns. SuperFlex uses 50% less floor space than traditional, multi-component systems, and it’s engineered with integrated product conditioning and mechanisms to handle pouches and imperfect blanks.” 

During his 25 minute presentation on Exhibit Stage A, Fox said he plans to share some of his experiences on why companies decide to automate their end-of-line packaging. 

“As labor challenges and retail demands increase, many cheese manufacturers are transitioning from manual case packing to automated systems. However, automation is not simply a mechanical upgrade. It represents a shift in operational discipline, product consistency, and team readiness. 

“My presentation,” continued Fox, “will explore the practical realities of this transition. I plan to explain the common pitfalls, preparation strategies, and lessons learned from the many installations we’ve been involved with. My goal is for attendees to gain actionable insights into how to prepare their operations teams, while understanding how to avoid costly mistakes and successfully navigate the move to automating their cheese case packing.”