“We really came here today to see an entrepreneurial saga ... starting with nothing and ending up with something. They have a great product, and a great Texas product that is sold all over the world,” U.S. Rep. Roger Williams (TX-25) said about Velhuizen Cheese during a recent tour.
Rep. Williams, who is Chair of the Small Business Committee and a supporter of Texas agriculture visited Veldhuizen Cheese Monday, Aug. 18 along with County Judge Brandon Huckabee and associated staff members.
Dublin Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Noah Cullis, along with board member and business owner Paul Bradberry were also present, along with several members of the Erath County Sheriff’s Office.
Rep. Williams shared some of his background as a business owner and representative.
“The Big, Beautiful Bill that we just passed isn’t perfect but it has a lot of good things in it,” Rep. Williams said acknowledging tax cuts in it.
“The economy is good and we need one more thing and that the federal interest rates being cut, and I think that is coming,” he said.
Rep. Williams shared that his favorite cheese, was of course, American cheese.
Veldhuizen Cheese, owned by Connie and Stuart Veldhuizen and their families, is a small business and cheese shop located at 3364 CR 299 in Erath County between Dublin and Stephenville.
“You know, we aren’t fond of American cheese, but American produced cheese is terrific,” Stuart said to the crowd’s laughter.
Stuart shared the story of how Veldhuizen started including he and his dad, Bill, being dairymen in the 1990s.
“I got out of it and said I’ll never milk another cow a day in my life,” Stuart said. “I was sick to death of the dairy industry and really the small margins that were made if there was anything to be made.”
After a few years, Stuart realized he missed the lifestyle but didn’t want the earning potential associated with a regular dairy.
“My wife did the research to basically get us to where we are now to be making cheese,” he said.
Stuart shared with Rep. Williams that he thought it was important that regulations be loose enough, especially for small producers, for the businesses to be successful in agritourism.
The group also sampled a variety of cheeses, learned how cheese was made and went inside the cheese aging cave.
“I was in there with a bunch of big cheeses, we all smiled and said cheese. It’s a product that everyone eats but they don’t think about how it happens. It’s really impressive and when we told you have to turn those cheeses over twice a week that requires young, strong help to do that. It’s a story of employing people,” Williams said. “It’s an honor to represent all you guys up there in Congress.”