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Employers › WI

Wholesale Trade · Rosendale, WI

Knaus Cheese, INC.

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Knaus Cheese, INC. has a concerning safety record: 11 violations across 2 inspections. See the full breakdown below.

Top 25% by penalty100% serious
$28,501
OSHA penalties
11
Violations cited
2
OSHA inspections
#11,300
of 100,495 penalized employers

Knaus Cheese, INC. in Rosendale, WI has been the subject of 2 OSHA workplace inspections and 11 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $28,501. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Knaus Cheese, INC. 2 times over 2 years, roughly annually. These inspections resulted in 11 violations, averaging 5.5 per inspection - a notably high rate. Its total OSHA penalty ranks in the top quarter of penalized employers nationally. Of these, 11 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Wholesale Trade industry average of 2 inspections per employer, this sits roughly in line with peers (1.0x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Bob Evans Farms Food, INC. in Sulphur Springs, TX is another wholesale trade employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $28,455 in current penalties.

5.5
violations per inspection
100.0%
of violations were serious
89%
of penalized employers rank lower

How Knaus Cheese, INC. compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Wholesale Trade per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Knaus Cheese, INC. runs well above peers (3.2x the sector average) in total OSHA penalties.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts As of 2026

Where this penalty ranks nationally

Total current OSHA penalty vs every U.S. employer with a nonzero penalty

$28,501 Bottom 11% least affordable more affordable than 11% of 100,495 U.S. employers with a penalty

$0–$5,000: 44,435 U.S. employers with a penalty (44%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 20,628 U.S. employers with a penalty (21%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 11,165 U.S. employers with a penalty (11%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 6,629 U.S. employers with a penalty (7%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 4,205 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 2,885 U.S. employers with a penalty (3%). This entry sits in this band. $30,000–$35,000: 2,052 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1,483 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1,120 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 792 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 5,101 U.S. employers with a penalty (5%). Above this entry. This employer $0 $55,000 every penalized U.S. employer, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. employers with a penalty. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026

What the Data Says About Knaus Cheese, INC.

The federal enforcement record for Knaus Cheese, INC. in Rosendale, WI includes 2 OSHA inspections and 11 violations, translating to 5.50 violations per inspection. Of those violations, 11 (100.0%) were classified as serious, 0 (0.0%) as willful, and 0 (0.0%) as repeat. Serious violations denote hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm; willful and repeat categories indicate intentional disregard or recurrence of previously cited hazards.

OSHA assessed $52,859 in initial penalties against this employer, later adjusted to a current total of $28,501 - a 46.1% reduction. Average penalty per inspection works out to $14,251. Against the Wholesale Trade industry average of $9,023 per employer, this record runs well above peers (3.2x the sector average).

Inspection activity spans from 2017-11-21 to 2020-01-08, a window of roughly 2 years.

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

2

First Inspection

2017-11-21

Last Inspection

2020-01-08

Inspection Span

2 yrs

Violations / Inspection

5.5

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$14,251

Industry Avg / Inspection

$4,678

What this shows 2 inspections over 2 years, averaging 5.5 violations per visit. That's $14,251 per inspection vs. the Wholesale Trade average of $4,678.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

11

Serious

100.0% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

0

Other-Than-Serious

0.0% of total

What this shows Serious violations involve hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate intentional or knowing disregard of the law. Repeat violations are for hazards previously cited within the past 5 years.

Enforcement detail

Penalty Analysis

Initial Penalty Assessed

$52,859

Current Penalty Amount

$28,501

Penalty Reduction

46.1%

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $24,358 from the initial assessment of $52,859. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Industry Safety Context: Wholesale Trade

How Knaus Cheese, INC. compares to the Wholesale Trade sector, which has 6,960 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Knaus Cheese, INC. Industry Avg
Inspections 2 1.9
Violations 11 5.4
Total Penalty $28,501 $9,023
Avg Penalty per Inspection $14,251 $4,678
View all 6,960 employers in Wholesale Trade →

Nearby & Similar Employers in Wholesale Trade

Woodland Foods, LTD.
Waukegan, IL
2 inspections $28,472
Bob Evans Farms Food, INC.
Sulphur Springs, TX
2 inspections $28,455
Big Four Distributing
Provo, UT
0 inspections $0
J & G Foods, INC.
Sutton, MA
2 inspections $28,450
Anthony Marano Company
Chicago, IL
2 inspections $28,415

Compare Knaus Cheese, INC. vs Woodland Foods, LTD. side-by-side →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Knaus Cheese, INC. safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, Knaus Cheese, INC.'s workplace safety record is concerning, with multiple serious compliance issues. The employer has 11 violations across 2 inspections, including 11 serious violations. Compared to Wholesale Trade industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Knaus Cheese, INC. have? ▼
Knaus Cheese, INC. has 11 OSHA violations on record, including 11 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $28,501.
How many OSHA inspections has Knaus Cheese, INC. had? ▼
Knaus Cheese, INC. has had 2 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2017-11-21 and the most recent on 2020-01-08. This averages 5.5 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Knaus Cheese, INC.? ▼
Knaus Cheese, INC. has been assessed $28,501 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $52,859 (a 46.1% reduction).
Does Knaus Cheese, INC. have any serious or willful violations? ▼
Yes. Knaus Cheese, INC. has 11 serious violations. Serious violations involve hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate the employer intentionally or knowingly disregarded the law.
What industry does Knaus Cheese, INC. operate in? ▼
Knaus Cheese, INC. operates in the Wholesale Trade sector (NAICS code 424430). This industry has 6,960 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 13,424 total OSHA inspections and $62.80M in cumulative penalties.
How does Knaus Cheese, INC.'s safety record compare to industry average? ▼
Knaus Cheese, INC.'s total OSHA penalty of $28,501 is above the Wholesale Trade industry average of $9,023 per employer (3.2x the average). The employer has 2 inspections compared to the industry average of 1.9 per employer. For a direct comparison, Bob Evans Farms Food, INC. in Sulphur Springs, TX is a similar wholesale trade employer with $28,455 in current penalties.

Explore PlainWorker

Wholesale Trade Industry

All 6,960 employers in this sector
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Safety Rankings

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What to check next

Knaus Cheese, INC.'s record is one establishment in a larger pattern. Use it as a research checklist, not a verdict on the employer overall.

These figures are the federal enforcement record on file and reflect past inspections, not a statement about current workplace conditions. See the disclaimer for how to read them.

Data Sources & Methodology ▼

Data as of 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA, WHD).

Source: OSHA Enforcement Data

Inspection and violation records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, covering the period 2010–2026. Includes inspection dates, violation types (serious, willful, repeat, other-than-serious), and penalty amounts. Penalties shown are current assessed amounts and may differ from original citations due to settlement, contest, or reduction.

Source: Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Compliance actions from the WHD, covering enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including minimum wage, overtime, and child labor violations. Back wages represent amounts owed to affected employees as determined by WHD investigations.

Employer Matching

Employers are matched across OSHA and WHD datasets by name, state, and city. Employers included in PlainWorker have 2 or more OSHA inspections or $1,000+ in WHD back wages. Data is updated monthly from data.dol.gov.

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Every figure on PlainWorker is rendered directly from official U.S. Department of Labor OSHA and Wage & Hour Division enforcement records, no number is typed in by an editor. This employer's ratios (penalty-per-violation, industry comparisons) are computed live from the 2 inspections on record. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.