Wolf Axelrod was the first member of the Axelrod family to enter the dairy business. In 1896, he established a retail store and wholesale distribution business on Madison Street, in Manhattan's lower East Side. A few years later, Axelrod moved his business to the suburbs -- the Lots section of Brooklyn (back then Brooklyn was considered the suburbs!).

Axelrod's Dairy sold sour cream, sweet cream, pot cheese, and farmers cheese. (Pot Cheese -- also known as Hoop Cheese -- is a form of what we know today as Cottage Cheese.) These products were all delivered by horse and wagon, and kept cool with large blocks of ice.

Axelrod manufactured his dairy products in small "cheese factories", which were located in up-state New York and along the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence River. Each factory produced a few hundred pounds of cheese a day, which was then packed in steel drums or large wooden cases, iced, and then shipped by train to New York City.

In 1920, Wolf Axelrod retired, leaving a thriving business behind for his youngest son, Abraham Axelrod, to run. Under Abraham's direction, the company continued along its prosperous path, concentrating its efforts on the distribution of "soft" cultured cheeses and sour cream. Brooklyn continued to function as the headquarters location, and in 1930, another branch of the business was established in Freeport, New York.

In 1932, the business was sold to a subsidiary of the National Dairy Products Corporation, which is known today as Kraft, Inc. Abraham Axelrod spent the next six years with National Dairy Products as a General Manager of distribution and sales facilities in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Boston. In 1938, he re-established his own dairy products company.

Axelrod sourced his raw materials from a number of different creameries in New York State, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. He continually set strict quality standards for his suppliers to follow, and the Company's reputation for quality and reliability grew.

In 1949, the first Axelrod labeled consumer sized packaged product appeared in local grocery stores in the form of a pint plain yogurt container. It was an immediate success, and was soon followed by Axelrod label consumer sized cottage cheese and sour cream.

On November 27, 1961, Abraham Axelrod sold his company to Crowley Foods, Inc., and announced his retirement one month later. His son, Herbert E. Axelrod succeeded him as President and C.E.O., and under his tenure the company significantly expanded geographically to include branches in Long Island; Springfield, Massachusetts; Pikesville, Maryland, and, Tampa, and Naples, Florida.

Currently, Axelrod products are a staple and tradition for many families in Metropolitan New York, New Jersey, Florida, and New England. The Axelrod name will always signify excellence and is truly a tradition in quality, reliability, and great tasting dairy products.

Member of the Crowley Foods
Family of Brands