Cheese Factory Garage by Drew Vetere
There is no more cheddar, mozzarella or cheese curd; just tools, engines and oil.
Today, the Cheese Factory Garage in Corvallis sees more farm machinery than farm animals.
“We’ve had people mad because they couldn’t get cheese,” said Dan Holland, a mechanic at the Cheese Factory.
The Corvallis building where cheese was once made, sold and shipped is now the home and business of Carol and Curtis Peterson, owners of the Cheese Factory Garage.
The Petersons bought the old cheese factory building unseen in June 1974. In poor condition, the building was filled with broken windows and birds’ nests, Carol said.
A relative joked to the Petersons that “if you can sell bird manure as fertilizer you can probably get your money’s worth.”
The original cheese factory, which closed in 1956, once produced the most cheese in the United States, according to Carol. The Cheese Factory Garage has had equal success.
From making cheese to repairing engines, the garage had a modest beginning. Curt, the head mechanic and founder, started fixing cars in his front yard with just a set of tools, an extension cord and small light. The business eventually expanded with the addition of a larger garage. They now repair everything from farm machinery to school buses to automobiles.
The Cheese Factory Garage has a strong local following, according to Carol. Much of the garage’s business has come through word-of-mouth. While Carol admits the name is unique, she said she believes it is the community connection that brings customers and their automobiles to the garage.
Community involvement is important to the Petersons. Curt spent 25 years in the fire department and Carol has been involved with several organizations in Corvallis including a project that helped establish a postal route in town.
In turn, the Cheese Factory Garage has remained a staple within the community.
“We’ve had clients who moved to California come back to get their car serviced,” she said.