Founder of Gad Dairy Navigates Public Listing to Expand Israel’s Dairy Alternatives Market
Ezra (Ged) Cohen, founder of Gad Dairy, shares his journey from a family cheese business rooted in Turkey to leading a 1.3 billion shekel dairy company holding 7% of Israel’s dairy market. Known as a "super-taster" with a highly developed sense of smell, Cohen leveraged his expertise to innovate and grow the company, which recently went public on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in September. The IPO was primarily to raise funds for a new, large factory near Ashkelon that will consolidate operations from four sites, potentially making Gad the third-largest dairy in Israel.
Despite initial reluctance to list publicly, Cohen embraced the move as necessary for the company’s future. He acknowledges the challenges of public ownership, including institutional investors blocking his request for a 1.4 million shekel stock option package, which he accepted as part of adapting to the new environment. Cohen emphasizes his goal is not to compete with giants like Strauss or Tnuva but to grow steadily and maintain a boutique approach.
Cohen’s background includes overcoming dyslexia and building the business from scratch after his family’s traditional cheese-making secrets were closely guarded. A turning point came in the 1980s when he introduced mechanized mozzarella production to Israel, capitalizing on the rise of pizza chains. Gad rebranded in 2000 to focus on specialty cheeses and has since expanded into plant-based dairy alternatives.
In the past year, Gad has aggressively entered the dairy alternatives market through partnerships and acquisitions, including a collaboration with Rimiilk for non-dairy milk, acquiring tofu producer Weiler, and launching 11 almond milk-based vegan products under the Feel Gad brand. Cohen stresses the importance of taste and quality over cost-cutting in these new products.
Cohen also addresses the controversy over government reforms to open the dairy market to imports, which sparked protests from Israeli farmers. He supports protecting local producers and calls for state subsidies to maintain food independence. Cohen remains committed to keeping Gad Israeli-owned and plans to lead the company for many years, with his daughter Yarden Cohen-Pel positioned to continue the family legacy.
