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BLOCKVILLE -- A farmers supply cooperative has filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Mayville against a now-closed cheese manufacturer.
The suit was filed Monday by National Farmers Organization of Ames, Iowa, and alleges that Castelli America LLC has failed to pay for almost $130,000 worth of milk purchased this year. The Italy-based Nuovo Castelli Group closed its lone U.S. manufacturing facility, located at 5151 Fairbanks Road in Blockville, on Dec. 6.
National Farmers -- a supply cooperative that helps farmers in purchasing, storing and distributing their products -- claims it entered into an agreement with Castelli in April. An invoice included in the suit shows Castelli purchased milk from the coop from June through September, totaling $129,530.88.
No court date has been set. National Farmers is seeking the amount owed plus "interest and costs."
Nuovo Castelli Group, a producer and distributor of a variety of Italian cheeses, purchased the former Empire Specialty Cheese manufacturing plant in the town of Harmony in the summer of 2016.
Don Butler, the facility's general manager, said the plant had recently lost a couple of key customers and its parent company "was not in a position to fund us." The facility's closure resulted in the loss of 67 jobs.
"Certainly we were disappointed," Butler said. "Any local company that closes is bad for the economy and workforce."
A call to the Blockville plant Tuesday seeking comment was not returned.
Founded in 1892, Nuova Castelli is the second-largest cheese manufacturer in Italy and the first manufacturer of protected designation of origin cheeses including Parmigiano Reggiano, parmesan cheese, and Grana Padano, a hard, semi-fat cheese. The company also produces Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, or buffalo mozzarella.