Spotlighting Renato's return to the Midwest and his #OneOberweis vision for the future of this beloved brand.
Every portfolio company has a story worth telling—one built on innovation, resilience, and lasting impact. In our new series, From Vision to Value, we spotlight the businesses within the Hoffmann portfolio, bringing their journeys, challenges, and successes to life in a way that captures their unique contributions. Next up? Oberweis Dairy.
GEOFF:
The summer of 2025 marked the first year since Hoffmann Family of Companies acquired the iconic Chicago brand: Oberweis Dairy.
As someone whose household goes through more Oberweis chocolate milk than I’d like to admit (my sons drink it after every hockey practice), I know the quality of this brand firsthand.
There’s also a personal connection. My grandfather was a milkman, and my dad used to help him make deliveries before school while growing up in rural Missouri. Oberweis carries that same sense of nostalgia, family, and tradition, and that makes it especially meaningful to us. With that shared appreciation, this conversation with Oberweis CEO Renato DePaolis felt completely natural.
We sat down to talk about his journey, leadership philosophy, and vision for Oberweis’ future. On behalf of the entire Hoffmann and Oberweis teams, I’ll say this: We’re incredibly excited about Renato’s leadership and everything that lies ahead for this remarkable brand.
GEOFF:
Renato, tell me about your background and how you found your way to Hoffmann—and now to Oberweis as their new CEO.
RENATO:
I first learned about the Hoffmann family through some mutual networking circles in Naples, Florida. My career has been anything but typical—I’ve led businesses in various sectors and operational transformation in the aerospace and national security technology sectors, always with a focus on cultivating organizational structures that deliver on innovation and operational excellence, which I consider core strengths as a leader.
I previously served at the White House as a trusted aide and advisor to the past two U.S. administrations on national security operations, and before that, I was a U.S. Navy fighter pilot and Weapons school instructor. Those experiences shaped how I approach leadership and complex operations in a business setting.
I earned my MBA from MIT, which opened the door to another Hoffmann connection through one of my classmates: our very own Clayton Jones. That relationship ultimately led me to you, Geoff. From there, we agreed it was the right fit for me to step into a Strategic Operations role within the family of companies.
After joining, I quickly found my footing with our amazing teams and teammates and began focusing on Oberweis. I immediately fell in love with the organization and saw tremendous potential…not because anything was fundamentally broken, but because there was significant opportunity to scale our differentiated advantage in the market, strengthen operations, and support sustainable growth in the Midwest and beyond. Born in Wisconsin and with family in the Midwest, serving the dairy industry felt natural and a bit of a full circle opportunity.
And here we are today. I’m incredibly proud to serve as their new CEO.
GEOFF:
After spending time with associates at Oberweis and learning about the company, what surprised you most as you took the helm?
RENATO:
I’ve spent time on the floor during every shift, every day, and what surprised me most was the level of pride in every detail, from production to packaging and creating special moments in stores for our customers. It’s given me a deep appreciation for the commitment of our teammates and the incredible work our team does every day.
Our ability to reliably produce and deliver crafted, all-natural, super-premium, craveable products to customers in under 72 hours across all three of our channels speaks to our strategic and operational differentiation. It creates a lifecycle loyalty engine with incredible reach and scale. By owning our cold chain end-to-end, we maintain quality with exceptional consistency to ensure our customers can enhance memorable moments in their homes, in our stores, in grocery, and hopefully in the air in 2026 across the U.S.!
GEOFF:
What were Oberweis's biggest accomplishments in 2025?
RENATO:
2025 was a year defined by shared services, operational upgrades, and meaningful investment in our future.
We brought in an on‑site expert from the Hoffmann corporate finance team, partnered with fellow portfolio company DHR Global to strengthen our leadership bench, and are overhauling our decades‑old ERP system—originally installed in the early ’90s. This upgrade is critical to improving efficiency, modernizing workflows, and increasing our capacity to serve customers across channels throughout the country.
We also made major capital commitments: $15 million to acquire nine retail locations for long‑term site control, plus more than $6 million in plant improvements, retail enhancements, and technology transformation across the business.
A standout moment came in August 2025, when we proudly opened our first new store in five years, right in Winnetka, Illinois. It stands as a reflection of our commitment to enhancing store experience and standards as we expand into the future.
And my favorite change of all? We moved the ice cream to the front of the store. It sounds simple, but historically, Oberweis scoop shops kept the product in the back of the house. Now, it makes the experience more interactive and allows guests to watch their ice cream being scooped. It’s one of many small shifts underway that make a big impact to customer experience—bringing the joy of ice cream front and center, exactly where it belongs.
GEOFF:
What’s your vision for Oberweis in 2026?
RENATO:
This year, we’re rolling out One Oberweis—a company-wide commitment to high standards, engaged teams, and a learning mindset that challenges the status quo. It means sharing what works, fixing what doesn't, and raising the bar together.
One Oberweis also reflects our commitment to unifying our three channels to increase customer loyalty, expand reach, and provide seamless access to our products. Our ability to serve customers at home, on the go, and at key moments in life across these channels is a competitive advantage, and customer-experience benefits will be further unlocked through digital innovation. We will retool our online experience to give our customers anywhere-anytime access, along with loyalty benefits and an expanded product offering that integrates products across our exceptional family of companies.
True to my years of service, I emphasize to the Oberweis team that I am here to be their wingman as we serve our customers. That comes from my Navy days as a fighter pilot. I love being out with the team—learning from and supporting them in the plant, in stores, or on the road. We learn best by doing. For nearly 100 years, Oberweis has stood for craft, care, and quality. Now it's time to write the next chapter: One Oberweis, one team, one standard. I'm confident about the road ahead…and with our 100th anniversary coming in 2027, we’re gearing up for a big celebration.
GEOFF:
Beyond 2026, where do you see Oberweis headed?
RENATO:
While we’re proud Midwesterners who happily eat ice cream even when our hands are frozen, there’s no better place for a scoop than somewhere warm and tropical. The Hoffmann brand is especially strong in Southwest Florida, and we’re actively exploring what expansion could look like there.
We’ve also entered major venues like the Enterprise Center—home of the St. Louis Blues—and Hertz Arena in Florida, home of the Florida Everblades, along with Paradise Coast, a premiere sports-complex destination. In addition, we’re growing in key real estate and golf destinations where Hoffmann has a meaningful presence, including St. Louis, Chicago, Naples, and Mackinac Island.
What excites me most, though, is the renewed emphasis on home delivery, a more intentional in‑store experience, and new partnerships with beloved local institutions, like our recent collaboration with The Joffrey Ballet. The team really came together with The Joffrey Ballet to innovate, produce, and deliver a crafted ice cream product that captured the spirit of the season and showcased our versatility and brand alignment to create and enhance memorable lifetime experiences like The Nutcracker.
GEOFF:
What qualities do you feel like you bring to Oberweis as a leader?
RENATO:
I’m a high-standards, straightforward leader—which is reflective of my time in the Navy as a fighter pilot. Tactical carrier aviation is an unforgiving environment where attention to detail in preparation and execution must be second to none across time to deliver on our promises to the American people. High standards are also a hallmark of Oberweis, and attention to detail, ownership, and accountability are critical to ensuring customers have the very best experience the first time and every time. I pride myself on building teams that can deliver at a high level. It isn’t easy, but it’s very important, because our customers deserve our very best.
But I’m also a dad of four daughters and two sons who love ice cream. Fun fact: My amazing wife and our wonderful kids have lived on a mango farm for years, though we’ll be moving to Naperville once the school year wraps up.
And yes, despite my background, I love having fun. Over Thanksgiving, I ran a turkey trot with my family… in a full turkey onesie. I love connecting with people, celebrating their accomplishments, and getting to know the details that matter most to them. Building enduring relationships and creating lasting memories is what life is all about.
So yes, we take serving our customers seriously—but having fun at home and at work is very important to me. My family brings out the best in me, and I try ensure we bring out the fun side of our business with our team.
GEOFF:
Talk to me about Oberweis’s culture. This brand has nearly a century of history—how are you building on that foundation while bringing in fresh ideas?
RENATO:
We’re focused on returning to the core values that make Oberweis special—crafted quality, joy, and customer focus.
That means breaking down silos, re-establishing training programs, reinvigorating our commitment to core values, and communicating with our team more than ever. The energy is real, and our team is energized about our future.
GEOFF:
Last question, and arguably, the most important one... favorite Oberweis flavor?
RENATO:
The purist in me wants to say our Vanilla…it’s perfect. But the answer really is our Cookie Dough Peanut Butter.
GEOFF:
Love it. Thanks for sitting down with me, Renato. We’re so excited to see what the future holds for Oberweis with you at the helm.
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