An undated photo of James Leprino released by his company. (Courtesy Leprino Foods)
James Leprino, who became a billionaire while transforming his father’s small northwest Denver grocery store into the leading supplier of pizza cheese, has died at 87.
Leprino died on June 19, according to his firm Leprino Foods Co., whose headquarters span a full city block in the Highland neighborhood where that grocery store once stood.
Leprino was born in Denver in 1937, according to the company. His father, Mike Sr., had immigrated from southern Italy and farmed before, in 1950, opening the shop at 38th Avenue and Shoshone Street in what was then an Italian enclave. In the back, the family began making ricotta and scamorza cheese by hand.
Leprino joined the operation in 1956, according to the company. The grocery store closed not long after, according to Forbes, and the family went all in on producing cheese.
America’s love of pizza was beginning to blossom. Pizza Hut was founded in Kansas in 1958. The next two years saw the emergence of Little Caesar’s and Domino’s, both in Michigan.
All would eventually become Leprino customers on a massive scale. The company, which is privately held, says it is the world’s largest producer of mozzarella cheese.
A key factor in its growth has been its willingness to adapt recipes and seek new technologies to meet the needs of the pizza chains. One key hire early on was Lester Kielsmeier, who had run a cheese plant in Wisconsin and helped Leprino find ways to incorporate additives and cut down the aging process, according to Forbes.
“I would tell people, ‘Lester is the man that made me rich,’” Leprino told Forbes.
Forbes estimates Leprino was worth about $2 billion when he died.
Leprino kept a low profile. His interview with Forbes for a 2017 story surprised even him.
“It’s hard for me to believe I agreed to this,” he told the publication. “I really like to keep my privacy.”
He declined to be photographed for the story. And his firm declined to make family members or executives available this week to discuss the magnate.
Forbes’ fun characterization of Leprino as the “Willy Wonka of cheese” would be repeated in later media reports. But a different descriptor — “one of America’s all-time monopolists” — better captured his company’s success.
Leprino Foods CEO James Leprino leaves the Denver City and County Building on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. (BusinessDen file)
In a press release, Leprino Foods called Leprino a “devoted family man.” It said he is survived by his wife Donna, daughters Gina (Daniel) Vecchiarelli and Terry Leprino, granddaughters Gianna Vecchiarelli and Francesca (Geordie) Lukas and great-granddaughter Sofia Lukas, as well as “countless” nieces and nephews. Leprino was one of five children.
As of 2022, Leprino and his daughters owned 75% of Leprino Foods. The other quarter was owned by three of his nieces, who inherited their stake from their father, Leprino’s late brother Mike Jr.
A trial was held that year to resolve a lawsuit brought by two of those nieces, Nancy and Mary Leprino. They alleged that James Leprino pushed them out of the business because of a dispute with their father, and rendered their stake in the company worthless. Regarding the latter, they pointed to the fact that Leprino Foods didn’t pay a dividend and that James Leprino didn’t allow his nieces to loan the company money, an opportunity granted to his daughters that paid them millions in interest.
A jury sided with James Leprino, who also prevailed in subsequent appeals.
A funeral mass will be held at Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Denver at 11 a.m. on June 30.
An undated photo of James Leprino released by his company. (Courtesy Leprino Foods)
James Leprino, who became a billionaire while transforming his father’s small northwest Denver grocery store into the leading supplier of pizza cheese, has died at 87.
Leprino died on June 19, according to his firm Leprino Foods Co., whose headquarters span a full city block in the Highland neighborhood where that grocery store once stood.
Leprino was born in Denver in 1937, according to the company. His father, Mike Sr., had immigrated from southern Italy and farmed before, in 1950, opening the shop at 38th Avenue and Shoshone Street in what was then an Italian enclave. In the back, the family began making ricotta and scamorza cheese by hand.
Leprino joined the operation in 1956, according to the company. The grocery store closed not long after, according to Forbes, and the family went all in on producing cheese.
America’s love of pizza was beginning to blossom. Pizza Hut was founded in Kansas in 1958. The next two years saw the emergence of Little Caesar’s and Domino’s, both in Michigan.
All would eventually become Leprino customers on a massive scale. The company, which is privately held, says it is the world’s largest producer of mozzarella cheese.
A key factor in its growth has been its willingness to adapt recipes and seek new technologies to meet the needs of the pizza chains. One key hire early on was Lester Kielsmeier, who had run a cheese plant in Wisconsin and helped Leprino find ways to incorporate additives and cut down the aging process, according to Forbes.
“I would tell people, ‘Lester is the man that made me rich,’” Leprino told Forbes.
Forbes estimates Leprino was worth about $2 billion when he died.
Leprino kept a low profile. His interview with Forbes for a 2017 story surprised even him.
“It’s hard for me to believe I agreed to this,” he told the publication. “I really like to keep my privacy.”
He declined to be photographed for the story. And his firm declined to make family members or executives available this week to discuss the magnate.
Forbes’ fun characterization of Leprino as the “Willy Wonka of cheese” would be repeated in later media reports. But a different descriptor — “one of America’s all-time monopolists” — better captured his company’s success.
Leprino Foods CEO James Leprino leaves the Denver City and County Building on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. (BusinessDen file)
In a press release, Leprino Foods called Leprino a “devoted family man.” It said he is survived by his wife Donna, daughters Gina (Daniel) Vecchiarelli and Terry Leprino, granddaughters Gianna Vecchiarelli and Francesca (Geordie) Lukas and great-granddaughter Sofia Lukas, as well as “countless” nieces and nephews. Leprino was one of five children.
As of 2022, Leprino and his daughters owned 75% of Leprino Foods. The other quarter was owned by three of his nieces, who inherited their stake from their father, Leprino’s late brother Mike Jr.
A trial was held that year to resolve a lawsuit brought by two of those nieces, Nancy and Mary Leprino. They alleged that James Leprino pushed them out of the business because of a dispute with their father, and rendered their stake in the company worthless. Regarding the latter, they pointed to the fact that Leprino Foods didn’t pay a dividend and that James Leprino didn’t allow his nieces to loan the company money, an opportunity granted to his daughters that paid them millions in interest.
A jury sided with James Leprino, who also prevailed in subsequent appeals.
A funeral mass will be held at Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Denver at 11 a.m. on June 30.
