CLEVELAND — It may be surprising to learn that Ohio is actually the nation's leading producer of Swiss cheese. 

Mike Womacks puts on the hair net and washes his hands before heading up the make deck, where a cheesy process is going on. 

“We bring pasteurized milk in, add our ingredients per recipe. And by the end, a little after three hours, we have cheese,” he said.

The eight-year plant manager for Guggisberg Cheese in Millersburg showed off the plant and where cheese is also wrapped and packaged.

“To see the outcome of the product at the end," he said. "That we make a good quality product.” 

While he married into this family businesses, Ursula Guggisberg-Bennett was born into it. 

“Make sure you get a sticker or a hat at checkout OK? Or a coloring book," she said to a young customer while loading up a plate of cheese.

“Especially if someone has traveled far and if it’s their first time in the area," she said. "I love chatting with them about our culture here, our history, as well as the area." 

She said her grandparents created the original Baby Swiss decades ago, which is a top product for the successful and award-winning family business. 

“My grandfather brought my grandmother a wheel, and she looked at it and said: ‘Oh, well that’s like a baby Swiss.' So that’s how we came up with the name. So now it’s a household name, which is pretty cool,” Guggisberg-Bennett said.

Guggisberg-Bennett is one of the many iconic cheesemakers in the state that leads the nation in Swiss cheese production.

It's a major accomplishment for the state and region that Guggisberg-Bennett is proud to be apart of.

“I got to work with my grandmother for a while and that’s very special, and it’s wonderful to be able to work with my dad as well," said Guggisberg-Bennett. "There’s a very rich history and it means a lot to be able to share with others. And like I said, the pride that we feel from our culture.”

A culture that’s made it’s impact on Ohio and continues to stir up success.