GARDEN CITY, N.Y., Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Dutch Cheese Makers, a U.S. importer and supplier of premium Dutch cheese and the company behind the Artikaas brand in the United States, has named Jay Phillips Vice President of Sales and Operations. The appointment strengthens the company’s leadership team as it expands its branded, private-label and foodservice business across the U.S. specialty cheese market.
Phillips joins Dutch Cheese Makers during a period of significant growth for the company. Over the past five years, sales and volume have increased more than 45%, imports have nearly doubled and the company’s team has doubled in size to support its expanding U.S. business. Today, Dutch Cheese Makers products are sold in all 50 states, while the Artikaas portfolio has evolved to include new aging profiles, flavor innovations and formats ranging from farmstead raw milk and smoked Goudas to sliced cheeses developed for retail and foodservice.
As Vice President of Sales and Operations, Phillips will play a key role in building on that momentum, working to strengthen customer and distributor partnerships, identify new opportunities, and help connect the needs of U.S. customers and consumers with the company’s Dutch cheesemaking capabilities – from new products and formats to the infrastructure needed to bring them to market.
“For us, growth has never simply meant selling more cheese,” said Steve Margarites, President and CEO of Dutch Cheese Makers. “It means being a better partner to our customers, creating opportunities for our family farms in the Netherlands and bringing exceptional Dutch cheese to more people without compromising the quality, relationships and integrity that have gotten us here. We’ve always been very intentional about how we grow, and bringing Jay onto our leadership team gives us someone who understands how to scale a specialty food business while staying true to those values. His experience makes him uniquely suited to help lead us into our next chapter.”
Phillips brings more than two decades of experience across the specialty food, cheese and beverage industries. Most recently, he spent nearly seven years with Vital Farms as Senior Director of Sales, East. Prior to Vital Farms, Phillips served for more than six years as Director of Key Accounts at Dora’s Naturals. His career also includes experience within the cheese industry as New Jersey Retail Manager for Artisanal Premium Cheese, as well as Boston Beer Company and earlier sales, marketing and operations experience with Nationwide Beverage Bottling/Kokomo Beverage.
“I’ve spent much of my career working with brands that have strong identities and passionate customers, and that is exactly what I see in Dutch Cheese Makers and Artikaas,” said Phillips. “There is an incredible foundation here, from the quality and tradition of the cheese to the relationships the team has built throughout the industry. I’m excited to work with the team to build on that.”
For more information about Artikaas, watch the brand video or visit Artikaas.com
About Dutch Cheese Makers
Dutch Cheese Makers brings authentic Dutch cheesemaking to the U.S. market through branded, private-label and foodservice programs. The company is the exclusive U.S. importer of Artikaas, its flagship collection of Dutch cheeses rooted in more than six generations of cheesemaking tradition. Dutch Cheese Makers also partners with retailers, distributors and foodservice customers on cheese programs tailored to their businesses. With deep roots in the Netherlands and an established presence in the United States, Dutch Cheese Makers combines traditional Dutch cheesemaking expertise with an understanding of the evolving U.S. specialty cheese market.
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SOURCE Artikaas
