Cheese Business Handcrafts a Recipe for Success

Solena Cheese of Pinellas County

Marc and Keila Maurer, the husband-and-wife team behind Solena Cheese, have turned a shared passion for fresh mozzarella into a thriving business serving customers across Florida. The business was born from a passion for cheese-making discovered while living in Sydney, Australia. After leaving a career in business development with Hilton Hotels, Marc Maurer learned the craft of mozzarella-making from his close friends, the Vannella Cheese family, who have over 50 years of expertise.

Inspired by their mentorship, Marc Maurer decided to start a cheese business with his wife Keila Maurer, combining their shared experiences and naming the business Solena Cheese, after their two daughters. “Solena. So we have two daughters, Sofia and Elena. So, it’s quite cheesy, but it works well,” Keila said.

Specializing in a wide array of handcrafted mozzarella varieties, including Burrata, Stracciatella, Fior di latte, Bocconcini, Oaxaca, and Pizzarella, Solena Cheese has quickly become a staple for high-quality, artisanal cheese.

When the Maurers realized the demand for locally made, fresh mozzarella, they knew the next step was critical to scaling the business. That’s when they turned to the Florida SBDC at Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) and business consultant Debra Schweikowsky for professional guidance.

With the help of the Florida SBDC at PCED, the Maurers received support in business planning and financial strategy. This included assistance in securing a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan that enabled the purchase of new equipment and a move to a larger facility. “Through working with the SBDC, we secured an SBA loan. We were able to buy some new equipment. We moved into a new facility. We got cool rooms. I mean so much stuff that was possible because we worked with the SBDC and they helped us secure this money which is a very long process,” Marc said.

The business owners even mentioned how they received help from the Florida SBDC at PCED and their consultant throughout the recent hurricanes that affected the area. “Still, even with all the hurricanes that have just come through Florida over the last couple of months, they’ve been there every step of the way for that as well to help us with disaster relief and checking on us. It’s been such a great relationship, and we’re thrilled to be able to have them by our side,” Marc said.

The results speak for themselves. Since working with the Florida SBDC at PCED, Solena Cheese has experienced significant growth, allowing them to expand production and distribution throughout the Tampa Bay area.

“From the farmer’s markets, now we’re in restaurants all across Hillsborough and Pinellas County. We’ve just branched out into Sarasota. We’re bringing on hopefully some new distributions soon, so it’s been huge working with them, and they’ve helped us a great deal and now we’re just looking to take that next step with our business and start distributing through the state of Florida,” Marc explained.

As they look to the future, Keila and Marc Maurer plan to continue leveraging the Florida SBDC at PCED’s resources to navigate opportunities, challenges, and growth. “We’ll probably need to move out of this facility at some point in time as we outgrow it and then we’re gonna be looking to rely on Debra to help us secure additional funding for a new facility, some new equipment, and just have her help us grow,” Marc said.

When speaking to their fellow small business owners and entrepreneurs, the duo makes sure to recommend the Florida SBDC at PCED for business guidance and support.

“As you know we work the local farmer’s markets which are all small businesses like us. Some of them just kind of do it as a side gig but there are many people at the markets who are looking to grow their business. A lot of them are looking to try to secure funding or grow their business or this or that, and I always say 100 percent you need to contact the SBDC because they will help you get to the next level. They did it for us and I can’t recommend them enough to a lot of these small business owners who were kinda like us,” Marc expressed.