Over the years, the pet care industry has undergone tremendous changes. However, one thing that remains the same is that becoming a leader is never easy. This task becomes more difficult when considering the turbulence caused by the pandemic. This is where the professionals listed on these pages come in.

With the inaugural Power 50 list, Pet Age recognized those whose important work has had a significant impact on the pet market. The criteria are relatively simple: determine the people who influence the pet care community in a positive way, whether they are company leaders, organization leaders, or officials, their decisions will affect the pet care community and the animals we serve.

"Pet Times" investigated the status of the pet market based on the opinions of industry experts and observers, and selected 50 executives, directors and authorities from them, who demonstrated the kind of forward-looking thinking and professionalism required by today's leaders.

The list is not an exact science, and there is no ranking—the list is in alphabetical order. The Power 50 list provides a snapshot of people who are critical to the pet care industry. This is an impressive list, and we are honored to be able to give them the treatment they deserve.

The Power 50 winners are making important contributions to the pet care community, contributing to the well-being of companion animals, and using their tenacious motivation and firm leadership to explore unknown areas in the pet care industry.

Olivier was born, raised and educated in France. In 1989, he received an 18-month internship opportunity at Royal Canin. The company has just acquired two small pet food manufacturers and is forming a local team. Olivier, a passionate pet lover, immediately fell in love with the United States and the pet industry. He transitioned from an analyst to chief financial officer, and in 2002 served as the chief executive officer of Royal Canin USA.   

During this period, he worked closely with Ann Hudson, Vice President of Marketing, and they jointly launched the first variety-specific diet in the United States. After recruiting Greg Temperly, he expanded Royal Canin to the veterinary channel. In 2010, Olivier became the CEO of FURminator, a leading brand of hair removal tools. There, Aaron Witt served as vice president of sales and they expanded the brand internationally before selling the company to Spectrum Brands.  

In 2014, with the support of the Chicago investment group Frontenac, Olivier founded Whitebridge Pet Brands. Ann, Greg and Aaron and other team members from Royal Canin and FURminator established a pet food company, focusing on natural and minimally processed snacks and foods, committed to making pets happier and healthier, while providing better Nutrition. In the past seven years, Olivier and Frontenac have identified and acquired five brands: Cloud Star, Tiki Pets, Dogswell, Cardinal Laboratories and Grizzly Pet. Olivier's dream is to build a team of experts with the motto Better Together, which proves that passion and partnership equate to good business.  

Peter Atkins, CEO of SquarePet Nutrition and former co-founder and CEO of Natura Pet Products, has more than 40 years of experience in the pet food industry and has made many contributions to shaping the industry as we know it today. In 1992, Peter and John Rademakers founded Natura Pet Products. In the next 18 years, he pioneered the industry, changing the paradigm of commercial pet nutrition through many first innovations, including the use of new high-quality meats and fats, fresh Fruits and vegetables, prebiotics, chondroitin/glucosamine, etc.

Peter's most important contribution to the industry is his development of EVO, an authentic high-meat, low-carbohydrate, grain-free dog food and cat food. The EVO brand was the seed that later became the billion-dollar "grain-free" category. With the same pioneering instincts and nutritional philosophy, Peter now launches SquarePet Nutrition with his sons Dr. Travis Atkins and Tyler Atkins at the end of 2019. 

SquarePet has identified and created a new category in the pet food field to provide high-quality veterinary formulas and solution-based nutritious diets designed to support many of the well-known conditions faced by our pet community. Despite the headwinds brought by 2020, Peter led SquarePet on the road to success. SquarePet is represented in independent retail stores in most parts of North America and internationally, and has a huge and continuing interest in its novel veterinary style nutrition.      

Visitors to any consumer reptile show will find exhibitors displaying products with the iconic Zoo Med logo. The brand was founded in 1977 by Gary Bagnall, who has worked in the pet industry for more than 50 years, starting at Russo's Wonderful World of Pets in Newport Beach at the age of 11. At the age of 16, Gary managed his first pet store, and at the age of 19, he worked for a tropical fish importer in Los Angeles. In the same year, he started the import and export business of live reptiles, which later became the California Animal Supply. Cal Zoo eventually led to the manufacture of reptile products, and Zoo Med Laboratories was born.

As the founder and CEO of Zoo Med, Gary holds more than 30 pet product patents and produces half of its 1,200 reptile, tropical fish and companion animal product lines at Zoo Med’s headquarters in San Luis Obispo, California above.

Gary claims that his greatest achievement is the invention of the first UVB lamp for reptiles, which is the "critical point" of how enthusiasts keep reptiles in captivity. He is the chairman of the board of USARK (American Association of Reptile Breeders) and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Cichlid Association. Zoo Med philanthropy includes supporting many conservation organizations and regularly donating to more than 100 aquariums, reptiles and bird societies.

When Michael Baker was president and CEO of Pet Food Experts 20 years ago, he vowed to care about more than the bottom line. Now, after five successful acquisitions, a widely expanded distribution network and a newly appointed senior leadership team, the fourth-generation giant has become a powerful distributor and has effectively achieved its aggressive growth plan.

But it's not just the exponential growth of pet food experts that has made headlines over the years. Baker's servant leadership style and innovative thinking have made his 600 employees become fans. And, judging from Baker's 95% Glassdoor rating and an unprecedented net recommendation value of 67, pet specialty stores across the United States agree with this. From comforting fireside talks throughout the pandemic to their continued cooperation with the Pet Sustainability Alliance and Earth Animals in the "Return to Retail" Flex Forward pilot program, PFX's mission is to cultivate a more sustainable pet ecology system. So, what will happen on the horizon?

Later this month, pet food experts are expected to introduce a new look for the brand, including new logos and messages that reflect its human-centered culture. Customers will also enjoy an upgraded online ordering experience equipped with machine learning on the company's new revolutionary platform and mobile application. In addition to the expected brand transformation, plans are currently underway to double the warehouse area, including the addition of freezer space.   

President and CEO Tim Batterson joined Animal Supply Company in 2014. Tim brings more than 30 years of sales, marketing, IT, manufacturing, purchasing, logistics and distribution experience. Tim believes that focusing on "returning to basics" when delivering high-quality products is the best way to serve our independent pet retail partners.  

  Tim's commitment to independent pets also prompted ASC to become the founding sponsor of IndiePet, whose mission is to empower independent and neighborhood pet retailers to work together as peers for the well-being of pets and pet owners. ASC has also become an iconic member of the Pet Sustainability Alliance, which is committed to creating a better future for pets, humans and the planet.  

  As the demand for high-quality pet food and supplies soars, ASC is positioning itself as the country's preferred distributor by expanding its footprint. ASC’s recent expansion has expanded its footprint to the northeastern United States, with expanded facilities in Monroe, New Jersey, to support the entire tri-state and New England region. Earlier this year, ASC expanded its distribution center in Atlanta, Georgia by adding 2,000 square feet of advanced refrigerators, bringing ASC's national refrigeration footprint to more than 20,000 square feet.    

  ASC is the national leader in the distribution of Local Everywhere pet food and supplies, serving more than 7,000 retail customers who operate more than 15,000 retail stores. Its mission is to share our passion for animals through trusted partnerships, and connect the brands and customers we serve with pet lovers. The company operates 18 factories and employs approximately 1,000 team members. 

Pet Industry Joint Advisory Committee

Mike Bober joined the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Committee (PIJAC) in 2013, the legislative and regulatory voice for the responsible pet care community, and became President and CEO in 2016. He guides the PIJAC team because they represent professionals with experience and expertise in pet care to legislators, evaluate the introduction of more than 1,500 bills each year, and participate in numbers that may have a significant positive or negative impact on pets, pet ownership, and pet business. Hundreds of bills.    

In the chaotic early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, Bob was the first to successfully persuade government officials to exempt pet care companies from shutting down tasks to ensure that Americans can continue to care for their 85 million pets. He oversees the work of PIJAC, provides health and business continuity resources for pet caregivers and retailers, refutes misinformation related to pets in the media, and educates the public about the safety of pet retailers and raising epidemic pets.   

Under Bober's leadership, the PIJAC team has increased the visibility of the pet care community among lawmakers by establishing or expanding a number of popular events on Capitol Hill, including pet nights, therapeutic animal interactions, and annual legislative meetings. His ability to develop and maintain relationships is the key to PIJAC’s current fruitful alliances with pet care and intergovernmental organizations around the world, as well as its role as a U.S. pet care community and government entities including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) The key to the liaison between people. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), among others.      

Bill Bookout is the president, chairman of the board and founding member of the National Animal Supplements Committee (NASC). Bookout is recognized as a leading expert on the regulatory issues of animal health supplements.   

NASC is a non-profit trade association whose mission is to promote the health and well-being of pets and horses, provide animal health products to their owners, and protect and strengthen the animal health products industry.  

NASC is composed of 18 founding member companies. At the time, the foundation of the industry was in jeopardy as regulators began to remove products that were determined to violate the animal feed law from the market. The original members​​cooperated with state and federal regulatory agencies to jointly define, develop, and implement self-regulatory solutions to meet the goal of responsible marketing of non-human food chain animal supplements.  

Today, NASC is the leading voice in the industry, representing more than 285 member companies with finished products and more than 100 vetted suppliers, providing materials and services to ensure the quality of the entire supply chain. Bookout quickly pointed out that without the cooperation of federal and state regulatory agencies, cooperation with industry associations, and the sustained support of veterinarians, retailers and pet owners, the credibility and influence of NASC would not be achieved.  

Consumer spending on animal health products has increased from US$800 million when NASC was established in 2001 to US$2.6 billion last year, and the positive growth forecast continues. NASC's successful advocacy, leadership actions, quality assurance and audit programs help shape and ensure the future of this industry, which is changing the lives of millions of animals every day.   

Dana Brooks is the President and CEO of the Pet Food Association (PFI), a national trade association whose members produce the vast majority of pet food and snacks sold in the United States, including global and regional Brands and co-manufacturers. Since joining PFI in 2018, Dana has helped the pet food industry meet a series of challenges, further increasing the association's publicity influence and enhancing its public image.   

Dana worked closely with member companies in the US Food and Drug Administration's announcement on dog food and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). She served as the industry media spokesperson and conducted dozens of interviews. She also brought her government relations expertise to PFI to increase the association’s influence on Capitol Hill. PFI eventually met with the pet food industry and introduced it to more than 200 congressional offices, the first in her work year. Dana also helped PFI increase its activities and presence as a public resource for pet food information, launching consumer-friendly infographics and videos on topics including complete and balanced cat nutrition, pet food labeling regulations, and responsible feeding and treatment practices . Ultimately, PFI invests in a wide range of stakeholder outreach activities to help demonstrate pet food manufacturers’ commitment to safety and nutrition.     

Charles Byrne is the owner of Mammoth Pet Products, which was launched in 1995 at the Mammoth Lakes ski resort in California. The brand can turn classic rope toys into various innovative designs by demonstrating creativity and become the favorite of countless dogs, thus becoming an industry leader.

There are more than 300 interactive SKUs under the Flossy Chews, TireBiter, Candy Wraps, Squeaky Rope and SnakeBiter product lines. Mammoth has a reputation as an innovative manufacturer of high-quality dog ​​toys. Under Byrne's leadership, rope toys have evolved from simple designs to more complex designs that use a wider range of advanced materials and processes.  

Mammoth's Flossy Chews product line uses high-quality cotton blended rope fibers, which can be used to floss dogs while chewing to help maintain good dental hygiene. The Flossy Chews EXTRA Fresh series uses beeswax and real dental floss materials to floss the dog's teeth while chewing.  

TyreBiter is also a recognizable toy. It is designed and developed in the United States and is made of advanced natural rubber formula. Mammoth also produces a series of toys inspired by weaving and rope tying, including several imaginative shapes (snakes and iguanas) with squeaks and tennis parts.  

Tim Cofer is the CEO of Central Garden & Pet, a $2.7 billion portfolio company whose mission is to lead the future of the pet and gardening industry. The company’s innovative and trustworthy products are dedicated to helping greener lawns, more prosperous gardens, healthier pets, and stronger communities. Central has a leading portfolio of more than 65 premium brands, including Pennington, Nylabone, Kaytee, Amdro and Aqueon, strong manufacturing and distribution capabilities, and a passionate entrepreneurial growth culture.   

Since joining Central in October 2019, Tim has formulated and launched a new company mission, which is to cultivate a happy and healthy home, and a long-term strategy, the "Central to Home" strategy. The framework sets a bold ambition and is a compelling contemporary roadmap for organizing the next chapter of growth. Under Tim's leadership, Central has achieved record performance for six consecutive quarters, and the company's market value has increased by 80%. Earlier this year, Forbes named Central one of the best mid-sized employers in the United States.  

With more than 30 years of experience in the consumer goods (CPG) industry, Tim is committed to leading companies, driving sustainable profitable growth and creating sustainable shareholder value. Before joining Central, he held important leadership positions and general management positions, including Mondelez International Chief Growth Officer, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa President, Kraft Foods Europe President, Kraft Pizza Company President and Oscar Mayer Foods residents.  

Ron Coughlin took the lead in transforming Petco from a traditional pet retailer into a defined category of health and wellness company to improve the lives of pets, pet parents and their more than 27,000 Petco partners (employees).     

  By adopting goal-oriented performance—a hallmark of Ron’s leadership—Petco continues to establish itself as a pet health and wellness company, rooted in the company's Whole Health philosophy. This industry-leading framework focuses on improving the well-being of pets by helping all five interrelated health dimensions (physical, psychological, social, family, and accessible health) strengthen and mutually reinforce each other. Petco recently stopped selling foods and snacks containing artificial ingredients, stopped selling specific electronic shock collars, and instead supported active training and removed traditional hide products.      

  As a champion of doing the right thing, Ron promotes Petco's corporate responsibility function. In addition to the long-term partnership with Petco Love (which has helped 6.5 million animals find homes since 1999), the company also released its first sustainability report this year and promised to release its sustainable products by the end of 2025. The number of types increased to 50%. First in the industry. Under Ron's leadership, Petco is committed to improving racial equality, diversity, tolerance, and belonging by strengthening tracking, training, and employee resource groups.     

  Petco's fully integrated pet care ecosystem resonates with pet parents, as evidenced by the 11 consecutive quarters of compound growth through the second quarter of 2021. Petco continues to gain momentum for recurring revenue products, high-quality, exclusive and private label products to expand its veterinary business and double-digit e-commerce growth.   

Greg Cyr believes that the foundation of a solid company is to have excellent products. However, he said that the company's true success begins with a clear vision, mission and values. When Greg joined Mid America Pet Food (MAPF) in 2018, he immediately established the brand's guiding principles to ensure that the pets entrusted to them lead a healthy and energetic life driven by high-quality nutrition.

Greg believes that if there is no one, the brand will not be active. The MAPF team is headquartered in eastern Texas, and they have a strong professional ethics and "can do" attitude. This allows MAPF to achieve best-in-class fill rates among its customer base, and Greg believes that only their team can achieve this achievement.

Leadership involves making decisions to advance certain opportunities, but also knowing when to postpone certain opportunities until the time is right. For example, the development of MAPF's own truck fleet was a decision that Greg inherited. He was skeptical at first, but when he realized that the company needed to be able to control the logistics of incoming materials, he realized the importance and advanced the project. This change enables MAPF to produce 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as needed. With these capabilities, MAPF will produce more than 125,000 tons of food in 2021. Before 2021, the compound annual growth rate of MAPF is 30%, which means that the company will exceed this year.

Dr. Bruce Elsey has worked in the field of cats for more than 40 years and is a pioneer in the field. He founded Precious Cat. In 1987, he packed agglomerated clay garbage in a gallon milk container in the garage next to his clinic and sold it to his customers. Elsey's Cat Products, a solution company based on this, grew and developed with a vision to help support pets and people in need.

In 1999, Dr. Elsey began testing Cat Attract, a feline behavior modification and training cat litter, in his All Cat Clinic and shelters around the Denver metropolitan area. Inappropriate weeding is the number one reason for cats to be abused and surrendered to the shelter. Dr. Elsey’s goal is to help keep the cat at home and use the litter box. To date, Cat Attract has sold more than 11 million bags and boxes and saved countless cat lives.

Through Dr. Elsey's inspiring leadership, his employees put their hearts, souls and science into the brand's products. It's all about pets, not profit. Every problem needs a solution, whether it's bringing picky cats back to the box, keeping their paws clean and dust-free, or meeting the ancestral dietary needs of the public's beloved pets. Dr. Elsey's is committed to creating products that can address the complex needs of pet owners.

Dr. Elsey sums it up best: "We always put ourselves in the paws of pets and always determine what is best for animals, not for publicity."

As the Chief Marketing Officer of Nestlé Purina PetCare US, Andrea Faccio leads the company's extensive marketing strategy for a portfolio of more than 20 pet care brands including Purina ONE, Purina Pro Plan, Fancy Feast and Tidy Cats. Driven by in-depth consumer insight and passion for pets, Faccio and her team are committed to linking Purina's extensive expertise in pet nutrition and behavior with the needs and desires of pet owners. This expertise is based on On the basis of science. Her leadership has led to many successful events and new product launches, which have brought strong growth to the company.

Prior to his current position, Faccio served as Vice President of Purina's Waste Division and Vice President of Marketing for Purina Latin America and the Caribbean. She continues to serve as a judge for Purina's annual pet care innovation award program, which provides support and guidance to emerging entrepreneurs in the pet field.

A native of Brazil, Faccio has held positions at Nestlé for 25 years, including important positions in Brazil, Switzerland, Australia, and most recently in the pet care business in the United States. She received an MBA degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

As a lifelong pet lover, Faccio takes her Bernedoodle, Rio, to work with her at Purina's headquarters in downtown St. Louis almost every day.

Kathy (KD) Decker Frueh has been working at KONG Company for the past 23 years, developing it through a consistent focus on the brand and doing the best for dogs. After starting her higher education career, she transitioned to the pet industry through an accidental interconnection. This started a long journey of growth for a strong team of KD, the KONG company itself, and like-minded professionals.

With its strategic focus on snowman-shaped dog toys in professional pet retail and the KONG-shaped heart, KD has been able to promote the family awareness now associated with the respected KONG name. Whether it is creating an ideal workplace, changing the world, or building a brand, KD has always put people first in her career. Her iconic likability and tenacious spirit are the hallmarks of her tenure as president of KONG for the past 15 years, which has brought the company a dominant market position.

Although COVID-19 has brought many challenges, KONG continues to develop and innovate in the market by providing creative new products and proven customer service. KD's vision and strategic insight into the future continue to promote KONG's advancement in the industry, maintain brand integrity, and develop innovative products for popular pets.

KD was born in South Dakota and studied at Bethel University with a bachelor's degree in communications. After moving to Colorado, she received a master's degree in education from the University of Denver.

From the first truck of food delivered to the latest batch of pet food cooked at the Pet Nutrition Factory in Brownwood, Texas, Canidae’s story is something to be proud of. Canidae was founded in 1996 by two pet owners, John Gordon and Scott Whipple, who believe they can make pet food better. Better nutrition. It tastes better. It's better for our dogs and cats, and better for pet parents.

Canidae started as an independent family business and is still a company. CEO Bret Furio leads the brand and works hard every day to ensure that the original promise of "better" is adhered to. This commitment inspires everything they do, from the land they harvest and the farmers they work with, to the people they hire and the local pet food stores they work with. All Canidae products have been reviewed by the veterinarian, are of high quality, perfectly balanced, and provide optimal health at an affordable price, without fillers, artificial flavors or artificial preservatives.

Canidae is honored to work with American farmers and green technology companies to bring new and sustainable practices to pet food, including reducing pesticide use, reducing runoff, and adopting regenerative agricultural practices.

NaturVet/Garmon Corp. was founded by Scott Garmon with the goal of helping pets with health problems through solution-based supplements. For the past 25 years, NaturVet/Garmon Corp. has led the industry with innovative, first-to-market solutions, including joint supplements, tranquilizers, bladder support, tear stains, liver supplements, and GrassSaver products. The company was also one of the first companies to introduce particularly tasty functional soft chews for dogs and cats, and the product quickly became the preferred delivery method for pet parents. NaturVet/Garmon Corp has become one of the most trusted brands in the industry. At the same time, it has successfully navigated various pet professional omni-channels while avoiding mass retail channels.

NaturVet/Garmon Corp. firmly believes in the importance of educating pet specialty retailers on product characteristics and benefits by providing retailers with a wide range of training and support materials and training courses. In addition, as a founding board member of NASC, Garmon helps guide the pet supplement industry to meet regulatory challenges, with the common goal of solving problems and implementing important changes.

NaturVet/Garmon Corp. currently produces more than 200 products in three production facilities in Temecula, California, with the goal of developing products to ensure the superior quality of life that all pets deserve.

Bob Goldstein, VMD, known as Dr. Bob, is the co-founder of Earth Animal and its head of product innovation and development. He graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Bob and his lifelong partner Susan are co-authors of Goldstein's Animal Health and Longevity Program and received the Maxwell Medal from the Dog Writers Association. Dr. Bob is the editor and co-author of the textbook "Integrating Free Medicine into Veterinary Practice" published by Wiley Blackwell.

As early as the 1970s, after the personal recovery crisis with Goldstein's own dog Leigh and their veterinary practice experience, Dr. Bob began to question the negative and ethical effects of chronic medication and pesticide use on dogs and cats. Therefore, he and Susan embarked on a comprehensive mission, which led to another way of caring for cats and dogs (Protect & Cause No Harm).

In the pet industry, Dr. Bob has designed more than 100 products, including foods, supplements, remedies and snacks. He believes that “animals should not be used as a delivery system for poisons against fleas and ticks.” Dr. Bob Goldstein’s Natures Protection product serves as a safer and gentler way to protect animals from ticks and fleas. Is the leader of the industry. Through his animal treatment center practice, Dr. Bob has used nutrition as a way to treat thousands of animals with cancer. Many of his agreements are the ingredient basis for Earth Animal's natural and overall products.

Heather Govea said she knew she had a future in the pet food industry from a very young age. During her tenure as a veterinary technician, she saw the importance of pet nutrition and how it can significantly improve the quality of life of pets.

After graduating from college, Heather started her pet food career and continued to grow as a thought leader in the industry for the next 20 years, including companies such as Natural Balance, Nulo, and CJ Foods, which joined forces with American Nutrition in 2020. Merged to form Alphia. In her career, Heather has served as a brand leader, hoping that she will have a more comprehensive solution to the manufacturing problems she faces. This history gives her a unique perspective from the customer's perspective.

Alfia is reinventing co-manufacturing by becoming a strategic partner of brands and retailers. Last year, Alphia merged two leading ultra-premium pet food co-manufacturers, as well as the world's leading raw material processing solutions provider LANI and 3PL logistics company Veracity.

Combined, Alphia provides a complete customized solution from farm to bowl, which is the first in the pet food industry. As Alphia's Chief Commercial Officer, Heather and her team helped Alphia quickly become the leading ultra-premium pet food custom manufacturer in the United States. Despite operational challenges during the pandemic, Alphia has achieved unprecedented growth, producing more than 1 billion pounds of dry, canned and baked pet food and snacks in 2020.

American Association of Feed Control Officials

The American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is an independent organization that has served state, federal and international feed regulatory agencies for more than 110 years.

Susan M. Hays has been an executive director of AAFCO since 2018, but she started participating in the organization 16 years ago. Because of her interest in protecting animal health, she first volunteered as an industry advisor to the AAFCO committee.

Under the leadership of Hays, AAFCO is a membership-based organization that cooperates on important issues related to feed regulation; formulates fair and equitable guidelines, definitions and policies to enforce feed laws; and promotes uniformity in industry compliance standard. AAFCO has created a large number of models to provide guidance and best management practices for state regulatory agencies and the animal feed industry, including model bills and feed regulations and model pet food regulations.

In August 2021, AAFCO allowed the public to freely access Chapter 6 of its annual official publication. The additional availability of this resource provides transparency of commercial animal feed and pet food ingredients and guides manufacturers when producing products.

Mark Hirschberg was born in the pet industry in the footsteps of his grandfather. After his grandfather immigrated to the United States from Germany, he began to make dog toys from leather waste.

In 1995, Mark left his family business and started his own business by launching Multipet. The landscape of pet toys at that time was completely different from today. The choice of toys is limited to hard rubber or vinyl. There is a fleece toy in several retail stores, but other than that, the concept of a plush dog toy is unheard of. Mark's vision revolutionized the dog toy industry by introducing premium plush dog toys with unique and whimsical designs. He also introduced toys to the market, which made realistic animal sounds when squeezed.

Multipet's toys immediately resonated with pet parents, who quickly responded to various toys that appealed to dogs of all sizes, ages, and temperaments. The replacement of hard rubber now means that dogs can play with toys that are easy to pick up, toss and hug. The soft plush toys and their squeaks lure dogs to become excited and involved.

Decades later, the legacy of plush dog toys continues to exist in all retail areas. Without the vision and creativity that Multipet and Mark bring to the toy segment of the pet industry, today's common pet stores have dedicated plush toy departments that may never exist.

When Landon Hobson was appointed as CEO of Cosmos Corporation in December 2017, the company looked different than it is today. At the time, 100 employees were working in two separate buildings in Windsville, Missouri. Since then, its number of employees has expanded to more than 250. The company produces pet products under the TropiClean, Naturél Promise and Urine Off® brands, and its revenue has increased by 275%.

Cosmos moved into a new, state-of-the-art headquarters in St. Peters, Missouri in September 2020. The facility is three times the company's previous space, concentrating office space, production, warehouse and transportation operations under one roof to increase efficiency, help ensure business consistency, and accommodate long-term growth. As a testament to its growth, the St. Louis Small Business Monthly recently named Cosmos Corporation as the next 50 companies in recognition of the 50 fast-growing companies in the greater St. Louis area.

Hobson attributes the company's success to a healthy workplace culture, which is guided by a clear mission and consciously nurtured every day through the core values ​​practiced by each employee. The result is where employees really like to come to work. If the low turnover rate of 7% is not enough to prove, earlier this year, based on feedback shared by Cosmos employees in an independent third-party survey, the St. Louis Post ranked Cosmos as the best place to work.

"Our culture allows us to succeed by ensuring that our business is aligned and working towards the same goals," Hobson said. "In turn, this commitment allows us to differentiate us from the competition by thoroughly understanding customer needs, providing innovative solutions, and flexibly speeding up time-to-market-when our products enter consumers’ shopping carts, all of these will Drive sales."

Reed Howlett joined the WellPet team as CEO in March 2021. He brings more than 25 years of relevant experience and is a successful thought leader in the field of consumer brands. He has held a number of executive and leadership positions in the industry, most notably as CEO of pet food company Nature's Variety and founder of 358 Brands.

WellPet is the largest independent brand high-quality natural pet food company in North America. It owns high-quality pet food brands Wellness, WHIMZEES, Old Mother Hubbard, Holistic Select, Eagle Pack and Sojos. WellPet focuses on science-based natural pet nutrition, pets will feel the tangible results that pet parents will see.

Reed takes a deeper focus on product innovation (including fresh and plant-based categories), and redoubles efforts in quality and safety to provide only the best pet food and snacks, leading WellPet in the natural pet food category that focuses on quality. Leadership applies to retail partners and pet parents. During the critical period of rapid growth in the company’s household population with pets, in the past year, WellPet’s WHIMZEES brand dog tooth chews increased by 62%, toppers and mixers increased by 51%, and Wellness wet cats increased by 38%. This is the number one natural wet cat brand on the market. This growth is expected to continue as more and more pet parents experience how nutrition can be the basis of a pet's lifelong happiness.

Reed has shaped his passion into the most trusted brand of high-quality consumer pet products, letting pet parents know that every decision WellPet makes is in the best interests of their pets.

Steve King, CAE, has been the President and CEO of the American Pet Products Association (APPA) since 2019. In his role, King works with APPA members, its board of directors, employees, and other associations to promote the interests of the pet care community. Under King's leadership, he and his team reported industry spending data and trends, as well as market data released in the biennial APPA National Pet Owner Survey, and delivered speeches to different audiences such as the Southeast Asia Pet Expo and the American Chamber of Commerce. .

Prior to this, King served as the chairman of the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) and played an important role in promoting the merger of the former APPMA show and PIDA pet show to form a global pet expo. With the support of the APPA professional team, the event has developed into the industry's premier event and global event, attracting more than 1,000 exhibitors and 6,000 buyers from 107 countries.

The pet care community hopes that APPA will provide insight into the US $100 billion pet market, and APPA has played an important role in guiding it through the tremendous changes brought about by COVID-19. The organization regularly organizes webinars to educate members on government stimulus plans; hires economists to bring global economic impact into the background; and conducts a series of COVID-19 pulse research, which is the only one for pet owners and their buying habits Concurrent investigation.

King is a board member of Pet Partners and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), and a past recipient of the Pet Age ICON Award.

Christian Kjaer and Amanda Howland founded ElleVet Sciences in 2017, but they conducted research and in-depth research for most of 2016, and then determined the unique formula that made their company so successful.

For several years, the company's monthly growth rate was about 30%. ElleVet is committed to a research-first commitment. The founder vowed not to launch a product until the effectiveness and safety have been proven in clinical trials, which is the key to success. Another key decision is not only to focus on clinical trials, but also to study all parts of the plant in order to better understand plant genetics.

ElleVet has changed the way veterinarians and pet owners think about CBD. The company is fortunate to conduct original research and understanding of the characteristics of CBD CBDA, which will shape the pet industry and launch specific products for different species and applications. The research paper by Dr. ElleVet and Joe Wakshlag at Cornell University is one of the most downloaded papers in Frontiers of Veterinary Medicine.

Kjaer, Howland, and other members of the ElleVet team are committed to helping all animals, which prompted them to initiate the ElleVet project to provide free veterinary care for homeless pets.

Chuck Latham has been full of love and appreciation for animals since he was a child. From growing up on a farm on the outskirts of Memphis, surrounded by a family of veterinarians, to his experience majoring in animal science at the University of Tennessee, Chuck’s respect for animals and veterinary professions shaped his every business adventure.

In 1984, Chuck founded Chuck Latham Associates (CLA) to help pet manufacturers better navigate and sell in the US pet professional market. CLA currently serves the US$110 billion pet industry and has more than 1,000 employees specializing in sales, marketing, research, analysis, retail services, logistics, and brand/product development.

In 2013, Chuck used his extensive industry expertise to create H&C Animal Health, bringing only the most innovative, efficient and clinically proven products from veterinarians to over-the-counter retail. H&C's veterinary formula product portfolio and representative veterinary brands demonstrate the company's commitment to pet health. Starting with a product, ActivPhy Joint Health, the company now has more than 10 well-known brands, including the recently added Angels' Eyes (acquired in 2020) and Scientia Pet's bSerene.

Under Chuck's leadership, H&C Animal Health has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list every year since 2019, becoming one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. In April of this year, Chuck was appointed as the chairman of the board of directors of the American Pet Products Association (APPA).

Steve Marton is the co-founder and partner of VisioCap, a boutique investment company that specializes in providing capital and thought leadership for companies in the pet and baby products field. Prior to this, Steve was a senior operations consultant at Pegasus Capital Advisors, where he managed multiple portfolio companies, including Halo and Purely for Pets. Steve has more than 25 years of experience in general management, new product development and brand leadership in the consumer products and pet care industries.

Prior to joining Pegasus, Steve served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Hill's Pet Nutrition, one of the largest premium pet food manufacturers, with scientific diet and prescription diet brands as pet specialty trade and veterinary specialty categories.

VisioCap was founded in 2014 by Steve and David Cunningham to invest time and money in their portfolio companies. VisioCap entered 2021 and invested in Bocce's Bakery, Shed Defender, Wet Noses, Nature's Logic and Worldwise. Its total annual sales revenue exceeded US$150 million. It recently withdrew from Nature's Logic (July 2021) and Worldwise (September 2021). )investment.

Steve has also been very active through him on the board and consulting roles of several other well-respected for-profit and non-profit organizations. He is currently on the advisory board of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, the board of Ollie, the board advisor of GoodPup.com, MPM Products and Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Products, and the Bethel Woods Art Center. Prior to this, Steve served on the PetSmart Charity Committee for 12 years.

As the president of the World Pet Association (WPA), Vic Mason is in charge of the oldest non-profit association serving the professional pet community. He first joined the WPA board of directors in 2010 and previously served as chairman.

Mason uses his more than 40 years of industry experience to ensure that WPA's resources, prestigious trade shows and publicity work meet the current needs of all pet professionals. Served as the CEO and co-founder of California pet food company Replenish Pet; Director of Business Development and Key Accounts of Veterinary Service Inc. (VSI); As the owner of a pet retail store, Mason took his first hand in the pet business Knowledge is used to improve WPA's products to support members during the worst of the coronavirus crisis. At that time, live events (including WPA's flagship event SuperZoo) were postponed and business owners faced various new challenges.

SuperZoo will be held again in August 2021, providing more than 11,000 pet professionals with the long-awaited opportunity to conduct business face-to-face, while paving the way for the return of industry events. His strategic vision also helped broaden the focus of WPA, leading to the launch of WPA365, a pioneering online platform that provides subscribers with market data, training, supplier contacts and other exclusive offers throughout the year; and Professional Beauty Certificate (PGC) ) Program, this is the world's first standardized system for evaluating and highlighting the basic knowledge of beauticians, their dedication to safety and technical skills.

WPA plays an active role as an advocate for pets and pet ownership. So far, the organization's activities have earned more than 6 million U.S. dollars, and it has reinvested in the industry through the WPA Good Works program.

After working in the field of natural and organic foods for several years, Catherine McCarthy joined the pet industry in 2004 with the goal of cooperating with natural pet brands. Her first experience was with Wellness/Old Mother Hubbard, the pioneer of natural pet food and snacks.

In the past 17 years, McCarthy has led the global innovation work of high-growth multinational companies such as WellPet and The Honest Kitchen, where she helped increase revenue by 10 times, promoted years of new product roadmaps, and created more than 300 New products. During this period, the pet industry has become one of the most important areas for growth, opportunities and investment. Focusing on the future of feeding, McCarthy now serves as the Vice President of Innovation at Stella & Chewy's. As one of the fastest-growing premium pet food brands, Stella & Chewy's is a leader in innovation and new market segments, including promoting the development of the raw pet food category and helping to establish freeze-drying.

In addition to Stella & Chewy’s nutritional value, palatability, safety, and convenience, McCarthy believes that lifestyles that include clean eating, food diversification, and the use of pets as family members will continue to narrow the trend between humans and pets. distance. With her passion for product development and understanding of natural food consumers, McCarthy's goal is to create healthy and nutritious choices that inspire happiness and confidence in the process of pets becoming parents.

As CEO, Blaine McPeak led Champion Petfoods to increase its global market share position in the premium pet food field. Under the leadership of his leadership team, Champion is unleashing the full potential of bio-suitable food, which is the cornerstone of ORIJEN and ACANA, and is developing on the basis of the company's first-class brand, industry-leading food and the most advanced-art kitchen.

Champion’s vision of becoming a global leader in advancing high-quality pet food was achieved through a compelling new business strategy, including: 1) establishing local teams in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, and 2) prioritizing 10 regions Business development of the world’s top pet food market, 3) gradually changing the marketing methods of ACANA and ORIJEN to build consumer awareness, 4) launching the most powerful innovation channel in the company’s history, and 5) developing a global customer base to increase household penetration .

The core of this compelling vision and business strategy lies in a complete set of goals and values, which enable employees to have a place in the things the company represents, so that the company can win the trust of pet lovers every day and keep pets for life. growing up healthily. Since joining Champion, Blaine's efforts have led to a highly dedicated culture and core belief that pet brands can have a lasting impact on the industry.

Dr. Bob Menardi of DVM joined Canopy Growth in 2019 as Director of Veterinary Technology and Education Services. Dr. Menardi serves as a key member of the core animal health team and participates in the formulation and commercialization of Canopy Growth pet CBD products, including Martha Stewart CBD for Pets series and SurityPro product portfolio.

By providing his expertise in veterinary medicine throughout the product development process, he has had an immeasurable impact on Canopy Growth products that have revolutionized the pet CBD health industry. In addition, Dr. Menardi helped provide information for Canopy Growth's industry-leading research projects and educate key veterinary opinion leaders on the role CBD can play in pets' lives. He also opened continuing education courses for veterinarians, helped organize seminars and developed training materials for internal and external stakeholders, all of which are ultimately to promote functional CBD health for pets.

Dr. Menardi received his PhD in Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University in 1990. He also has a degree in zoology. When he is not working, he spends time with his wife and three children. Whenever possible, he likes to be outdoors, especially hiking and walking, and strives to keep up with the children in the sports chosen by them.

Scott Morris, the co-founder and president of Freshpet, introduced fresh refrigerated pet food to pet parents in 2006 and continues to drive consumer demand for the company. Since the start of the fresh category, Freshpet currently sells more than 27,000 Freshpet refrigerators in the United States, Canada and Europe, with sales exceeding $400 million and a growth rate of more than 30%. Scott said that he is most proud of being able to build an enduring company based on the core principles and values ​​he has learned during his 25-year career in consumer products (CPG).

Scott brings his former and current entrepreneurial spirit. In addition to participating in all aspects of the company, he continues to provide innovation, just like Freshpet's recently launched Spring & Sprout product-the first fresh, refrigerated plant-based dog food. For a long time, he has also supported the brand's commitment to pet welfare and the well-being of the planet, donated meals over 12 mm, and promoted Freshpet to achieve no landfill and carbon neutrality in its direct operations.

What drives Scott is to create great products and do good things around the world-this prospect serves Freshpet well. Freshpet's strategic success is reflected in the millions of consumers it serves, and partly in the company's stock price, which has risen by more than 1,000% since it was listed on the Nasdaq. In addition to co-founding Freshpet, Scott is also a CPG consultant, investor and co-founder of Hive Brands.

Charlie Nelson is the president of NutriSource Pet Foods, a company built on a strong relationship with independent pet channels. With Charlie at the helm, the company's focus will continue to work with nearby pet stores and do its best to ensure the long-term success of its approximately 6,000 physical partners in the United States and Canada. The company supports the channel by hiring one of the largest sales teams, who are focused on building relationships, training and providing unparalleled support.

The core of NutriSource is to give back to the mission. From providing critical funding for local schools and community programs, supporting pet shelters and pet rescues, or sponsoring hospital facility dog ​​programs, NutriSource challenges itself every day to answer one of Charlie’s biggest questions: "If we don’t work hard, why do we Here? Make a change?"

Today, NutriSource provides more than 110 different dog foods and cat foods, covering four series: NutriSource, NutriSource PureVita, NutriSource Choice and NutriSource Element Series. Products include kibble, canned food and snacks.

NutriSource's product innovation focuses on providing solutions and options that are important to the overall health and well-being of the company's animals. Recently, the brand launched the Element series product line featuring high animal protein diets. The brand's new Tetra Pak package PureVita stew provides sustainable ingredients for its packaging.

As the president of one of the most respected brands in the pet industry, Tom Niman proudly becomes the fourth-generation heir of the Fromm family of foods, and continues the tradition of family ownership and industry innovation with his children and wife Casey. Tom was born and raised in Mequon, Wisconsin. He worked on family farms and Fromm factories as a child, then received a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, and started his career as a process development engineer at 3M in St. Paul, Minnesota.

After returning to the Fromm business in 1984, Tom redirected the company to focus on the nutrition of felines and canines, and launched the Gold and Four-Star Nutritionals series of products, and inherited the tradition that began in generations. From the beginning, Fromm Family Foods has maintained a history of silent innovation, including developing canine and cat distemper vaccines at Fromm Laboratories, and pioneering the process of combining meat and grains to produce the dry coarse grains that are widely used today.

Fromm remains unswervingly committed to the field of independent pets, and is proud of being forward-looking in sourcing and meticulous manufacturing, safety and quality practices. In the past ten years, with the opening of a canning factory in Wisconsin and the expansion of snack products through the newly launched Fromm Crunchy Os, the brand has continued to flourish and expand its wet food business.

Since January 2020, Laura Olsen has served as Zoetis' senior vice president of pet care in the United States, leading the largest business unit of the world's leading animal health company. Laura's passion for animal health and customer care inspires and motivates her to lead the American team to promote innovative growth and advanced pet care.

Zoetis is committed to innovation to meet unmet veterinary needs. In her first year at the helm, Laura oversaw the launch of Simparica Trio, the first monthly chewable tablet of triple pesticide for dogs in the United States. The Zoetis Petcare team is promoting the development of pesticides, dermatology and other fields, while working hard to improve the customer experience and increase the participation of pet owners.

As the pet parent of two fur babies, Laura has deep personal insights into the needs of pet owners, the critical role of veterinarians and veterinary health care teams in pet health, and the importance of fostering a strong bond between humans and animals. Laura is also a board member of the Diversify Veterinary Medicine Coalition (DVMC), dedicated to addressing the issues of diversity, fairness, inclusiveness, and belonging in veterinary medicine, as well as pumpkin pet insurance, and raising awareness of pet owners’ monthly preventive health plans.

After taking over as Zoetis’ US Petcare shortly before the pandemic, Laura’s creative and forward-looking leadership style allowed her to support veterinary clients in adapting to new ways of providing healthcare, and to support her team as they continue to innovate Animal health.

Phillips pet food and supplies

Phillips Pet Food & Supplies is a national distributor of pet food and supplies, led by Blaine Phillips, who was appointed as the company's CEO earlier this year. He was appointed as chairman in November 2020 and served as CEO of Phillips from 1981 to 2016. During his tenure as CEO, he grew his business from a small family feed store to become the largest national distributor of pet food and supplies.

Phillips Pet Food & Supplies was established in 1938 as a single feed store and currently has 11 distribution centers and 5 cross-terminal facilities in the United States. The company has more than 250 brand partners, more than 14,000 retail customers, and approximately 1,200 employees.

Since 1995, Blaine and his team have successfully integrated more than 15 competitive distributors and regions into today's national power. Blaine was born in Pennsylvania and holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Fort Lauderdale School of Business.

When he was appointed as CEO, Brian said: “When my grandfather opened a store in 1938, his goal was to please our customers and create an ideal workplace. It’s great to participate in the incredible Phillips has brought these changes to where we are today, while making these same goals our core. The key to our success has always been the solidity of our relationships with customers, which proves the talent and hard work of Phillips employees at all levels Work and dedication.

CAE's Celeste Powers became the chairman of the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) at the end of 2018, and his eyes are full of new vision and big names. Although she has worked in the management of non-profit associations for 30 years, and more than 20 of them have served as CEOs, Bowers is a newcomer to the pet industry. She quickly established herself as a relationship builder and champion for the entire industry.

After attending her first pet industry leadership conference in January 2019, Bowers recognized the value it provides to executives in all industries and took the lead in taking steps to realize its potential. The event was renamed the Pet Industry Leadership Summit, or "Summit" in 2020, and is characterized by a compact schedule to provide maximum value in a streamlined time frame. Under Bowers’ leadership, sponsorship sales increased by 80% and attendance increased by nearly 10%.

When PIDA's long-term online education director Stephanie Kaplan died suddenly after less than a year at Powers, Powers stepped in to ensure that Kaplan's legacy, Pet Store Pro, stayed on track. Bowers personally met with the program's curriculum development team to simplify the transition and launch its zoonotic disease prevention chapter on time. Bowers won PIJAC's Pet Care Community Leader of the Year Award for her efforts, and she is dedicated to the memory of the team and Kaplan.

"The key to my own success is to build strong relationships, which is at the core of PIDA's role in the supply chain," Bowers said. "PIDA is a powerful organization in an industry with a lot of opportunities. As the president, my goal is to ensure that we can always adapt to the new environment, learn and grow."

Helping independent pet retailers grow and develop has become the passion of Al Puntillo, Mud Bay's Chief Marketing Officer and Chairman of IndiePet's Board of Directors. Since 2013, Al has been a member of the Mud Bay executive team, committed to continuous improvement of the country's largest staff and family pet retailer. Mud Bay is located in the Pacific Northwest and now operates 60 stores, equipped with Muddies (employees) who pride themselves on cordiality and nutrition expertise.

Niwan was established in 1988 as a small feed store in Olympia, Washington. Over the years, it has gained a reputation for setting the industry's highest product and partner standards. If Mud Bay has a product, it is very likely that Al or one of his team has visited the manufacturing plant in person and stamped it with their approval. Al and his team are also committed to ensuring that Muddies can make confident recommendations and customers can use accurate and engaging tools to help them explore and learn in-store and online.

Al is also one of the founders of the Independent and Neighborhood Pet Retail Association (IndiePet, IndiePet for short). This is the first long-term health organization in the pet industry that is fully dedicated to supporting independent pet retailers and independent and neighborhood pet channels. IndiePet currently represents more than 1,500 retail stores and more than 50 manufacturing and industry partners. It held its first annual membership meeting at SuperZoo this year and is actively recruiting new members and formulating strategic plans for 2022 and beyond.

Rachael Ray is a TV personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef, philanthropist and writer. Known as the host of the popular Emmy-winning daytime talk show Rachael Ray and the Food Network series 30 Minute Meals, Rachael is also passionate about supporting human and animal philanthropy in need.

In 2010, out of the desire to give everyone the opportunity to provide the best nutrition to furry friends, she launched Rachael Ray Nutrish, a high-quality pet food and delicacy that provides high quality at the best price. The proceeds from the sale of Nutrish will be fully funded by the Rachael Ray Foundation, which helps animals in need of care, food, medical care, and permanent homes.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rachael donated $4 million through the Rachael Ray Foundation and her other non-profit organization Yum-o!! Half of the funds are used to support animals in need in the shelter system. At the same time, Rachael Ray Nutrish pledged to donate 4 million meals through Greatergood.org and the World Central Kitchen to provide families with food and snacks for their dogs and cats.

Rachael and Nutrish have jointly developed all Nutrish recipes and recently launched Big Life, a new winning formula for large dogs to celebrate Rachael's bulldog Bella Boo Blue, who welcomed her home last year.

Chris Rowland is the CEO of Pet Supplies Plus, the largest independent pet retailer in the United States. With more than 560 locations in 36 states, these stores have a streamlined design that makes it easy to browse a variety of natural pet food, goods, and services.

Rowland started his career in discount retail in Canada for 10 years, and then was promoted at PetSmart from 1996 to 2011. He started as a store manager in Toronto, then promoted to vice president of operations in the United States, and eventually became president of PetSmart Canada.

Chris describes himself as a pet lover just like everyone at Pet Supplies Plus. He believes that the brand's advantage lies in providing a consistent high-quality experience, outstanding value and incredible value for every neighbor who walks into the Pet Supplies Plus store. The convenience.

Roland made a deliberate decision before the February 2020 pandemic to increase its typical five-week inventory by 20%. When the COVID-19 outbreak occurred and online competitors were unable to provide customers with pet inventory, Pet Supplies Plus retailers were able to provide customers with toys and food within 24 hours. The pet retailer achieved record growth in 2020, adding free curbside pickup and same-day delivery, and then closing the year by acquiring 40 former PetValu stores and converting them into Pet Supplies Plus locations.

Pet Supplies Plus continues to experience tremendous growth, with 73 new store pledges signed so far this year, as of 2021. It also launched the Autoship subscription plan, enhanced its reward program, and expanded its product range to include prescription pet drugs and food.

After starting her career in small animal practice, Dr. Christine Royal transitioned to the industry before joining Merck Animal Health in 2014. In 2020, she was appointed as the Vice President of Companion Animals and Horses in the United States. She currently leads the business and oversees the company's efforts to promote stronger animal welfare practices and promotes the importance of mental health and well-being among veterinary professionals. Dr. Royal works with industry organizations, key opinion leaders, and universities to leverage her experience as an animal health leader and provide support on topics that improve the lives of pets and people who care for pets, including mature and emerging veterinary professionals. From launching groundbreaking veterinary health research with AVMA, supporting scholarship programs, donating large amounts of vaccines and drugs to the Street Dog Alliance to care for homeless pets, and working with organizations that empower industry professionals, Royal has transformed veterinary medicine. And pet life.

During the pandemic, Merck Animal Health strengthened its veterinary methods. In the past few years, Merck Animal Health has cooperated with more than 50 organizations to promote animal health in more than 15 countries and donated a large amount of funds to support working animals dedicated to guidance, rehabilitation, search and rescue, and wildlife protection. Supporting the treatment of animals in shelters or economic difficulties in six countries. 20 organizations donated more than 600,000 US dollars in vaccines and medicines, received more than 200,000 US dollars in education and non-clinical research grants, and provided more than 700,000 US dollars in Donated COVID-19 and received more than $1 million in bursaries for veterinary students in 2020.

Todd Simmons is the third generation leader of Simmons Foods and Affiliates, a family business based in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Today, the company has a team of more than 8,000 people, including three vertically integrated business units: Simmons Prepared Foods, Simmons Animal Nutrition and Simmons Pet Food. The company is built on strong values ​​and entrepreneurial spirit, starting with founder MH "Bill" Simmons, followed by Mark Simmons, and continuing to today's Todd.

Todd joined the family business as an hourly worker in the 1990s and worked in the company. He joined the leadership team in 1996 and became CEO in 2012. During his tenure, Simmons Pet Food has become the largest private label wet pet food manufacturer in the United States. In North America, revenue in 2021 was close to US$1 billion, up from US$190 million in 2010.

In early 2020, Simmons began to strengthen its leadership team, hiring Scott Salmon as president of the pet food division. Salmon's expertise in building high-performance teams and responding to changing consumer habits is invaluable in supporting the growth of our customers.

The company's growth trajectory continues to be strong, and its pet food business investment is expected to exceed US$500 million within three years. This includes infrastructure investments, such as a $100 million investment in new businesses in Iowa and expansion and production enhancements in Arkansas and Kansas.

Simmons was recently named one of the best mid-sized employers in the United States by Forbes Magazine, and ranked among the best in the food and beverage category.

Ikdeep Singh assumed the position of President of Mars Pet Nutrition North America in January and quickly began to implement a plan driven by data and goals. He believes that numbers, data, and analysis will continue to change the way companies serve consumers through innovation-and this is no exception for pet parents. In less than a year, he led his team of talented colleagues:

Before joining Mars Pet Care, Ikdeep served as President of L'Oréal Group, where he spent six years leading a large and complex brand portfolio in North America, diversifying revenue and profit growth by building high-performance teams and achieving industry-leading speeds. An inclusive work culture, while accelerating consumer-centric innovation and instilling industry-leading digital capabilities.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Dr. Steven Solomon is the Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) of the US Food and Drug Administration. He was appointed to this position in January 2017. He is a former private practice veterinarian and occupational public health regulatory officer, and has been committed to protecting human and animal health at the FDA for more than 30 years.

He brings a versatile background to CVM's leadership role and has extensive experience in policy, public health, regulatory affairs, law enforcement, and of course veterinary medicine. He joined the FDA in 1990 as a veterinary medical officer for CVM, and has held various policy and leadership positions in the law enforcement office and regional operations office of the Office of Regulatory Affairs, as well as deputy deputy commissioner for regulatory affairs. He also served in the Global Regulatory Operations and Policy Office.

Dr. Solomon is a proponent of the "One Health" approach to public health problems, which recognizes the interconnection between the health of people, animals, and plants and their shared environment. He is a co-leader of the FDA's One Health Initiative and advocates the use of One Health methods to promote a better understanding of zoonotic diseases, translational medicine and foodborne diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and other public and animal health challenges.

Dr. Solomon holds a PhD in Veterinary Medicine from Ohio State University and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.

As an iconic brand in the pet industry, Coastal Pet Products developed from the basement of a pet store in Ohio in 1968 and moved into its first factory in 1974. From 10 employees and 50 products, Coastal has grown to have more than 400 employees selling more than 7,500 SKUs from its 376,500 square foot manufacturing and distribution facility, which is adjacent to an artificial lake in a former cornfield.

The company's co-founder and owner Jim Stout used his engineering skills to introduce innovations such as the introduction of nylon webbing for belts and collars, and inventions including Kanine curved buckles and plastic side release buckles. .

Central continues to maintain the industry through cooperation with Wolfgang Man & Beast, a company headquartered in Salt Lake City that specializes in stylized belts and collars, and through acquisitions (including the addition of Bergen Pet Products and its product line in 2015) Leading position in travel products, feeders, food storage and toys.

Coastal has always maintained its position as a category leader and resource for customers, thanks in part to Jim's daughter Kim Stout, who is the company's president. She does not look at the retail industry from the perspective of an engineer like her father did, but from the perspective of a salesperson and marketer. As President, she is responsible for guiding Coastal's retail strategy, ensuring that retailers can regard the company as a valuable partner, and at the same time letting consumers understand the Coastal brand name and what it stands for.

JK Symancyk joined PetSmart as President and CEO in June 2018 and became a member of the company's board of directors. JK is a consumer retail veteran with more than 25 years of industry experience managing complex retail businesses, including his previous role as CEO of Academy Sports Outdoors. JK currently serves as the chairman of PetSmart Charities and is a member of the board of directors of retail industry leaders and L-Brands.

Under his leadership, PetSmart cooperated with Door Dash to promote the on-demand delivery of pet supplies and accessories in approximately 1,650 PetSmart locations across the country, and cooperated with Afterpay, a company that buys first and pays later, giving customers the opportunity to pay for free Interest purchase in installments. He also played a key role in the launch of PetSmart pharmacy by PetSmart, a comprehensive online destination for cats, dogs and livestock medical needs.

Throughout his career, JK has demonstrated his ability to lead the company, drive profitable growth, and improve the organizational performance of internal teams in large multi-channel consumer companies. Previously, JK served as President of Meijer, responsible for leading all aspects of the business. He started his career at Walmart Stores, Inc. and held various leadership positions at Sam's Club and Wal-Mart, International.

Nate Thomas is a professional in the pet care industry with more than 25 years of technical experience and has held senior management positions in several pet food companies. In January 2011, Nate co-founded BSM Partners, a leading full-service pet care research, consulting, and strategic product innovation company.

BSM Partners is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, and works with hundreds of clients, from the largest companies to individual entrepreneurs, to provide technology and business solutions. Under Nate's leadership, this growing company currently has 27 industry experts, making them the most qualified and experienced independent team in the entire industry.

Members of the company's multidisciplinary technical service team, many of whom regularly publish in scientific journals, provide customers with formulations, technical reviews and thousands of new product and process technology development suggestions every year. The nutrition department of BSM is led by board-certified veterinary nutritionists and board-certified companion animal nutritionists, and conducts cutting-edge research and functional product formulations. The company's veterinarians perform advanced feeding and digestibility studies, conduct research, key support, and develop educational programs. BSM's experts in food safety, quality assurance and regulatory affairs work with customers to provide customers with factory audit and certification, import and export, compliance and regulatory support.

BSM's business service professionals have extensive experience in process development and engineering, plant design, equipment selection, and project management support. The company's operations and business transformation teams help the company reach its full potential through leadership development plans and addressing supply chain and manufacturing needs. BSM experts also work with clients to develop marketing strategies, advertising, packaging and website design.

For the past seven years, the development of some of the most respected and well-known brands in the pet industry has been led by Alice Tillet, CEO of Petmate. Although she thought it was a great honor to be named a "power player" in the pet industry, Alice quickly attributed the success of Petmate to the work of talented and dedicated individuals throughout the company.

Alice has always been proud of what is necessary to create quality products. She puts listening and working closely with Petmate's retail partners first to ensure that the brand does the best for pets and pet parents.

Under her leadership, Petmate has invested heavily in its manufacturing process while reducing the company's overall environmental impact in order to create a cleaner and safer world. In addition, the relationships established over the years have been fully reflected in the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Alice concluded in overcoming COVID-19: “I cannot give enough trust in everything our partners have done and my team has overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to keep the business moving forward. I think I am fortunate to be able to work with such a group of passionate people, everyone doing their part to achieve the common goal." 

Model Pet Grooming School

Melissa Verplank has been committed to the training, development and improvement of the pet grooming industry for nearly 40 years. She is the founder and president of Paragon School of Pet Grooming, Melissa Verplank Enterprises, White Dog Enterprises, Learn2GroomDogs.com and Whiskers Resort and Pet Spa.

She participated in the grassroots work of the voluntary certification testing program and obtained the title of Certified Beautician in the mid-1980s. Melissa is a member of the U.S. grooms team traveling team. In the early 1990s, she represented the United States in the French World Team Championships. Later, she served as the coordinator of the GroomTeam USA team, served on the board of directors, and is currently a member of its advisory board. She assisted in the establishment of the International Association of Judges and is an accredited beauty judge of the United Performance Managers Union. Verplank is a popular industry speaker, competition beauty judge, writer, and two-time Cardinal Crystal Achievement Award winner.

Her recent industry honors include:

Spencer Williams is the fifth-generation descendant of Montana, and he works at the family ranch. This experience led him to accept environmental management and love for animals. When Williams returned to Montana from college in 1996, he bought a small pet products company now called West Paw. Under Williams’ leadership, this Montana-based company has become a world-class manufacturer of innovative and environmentally friendly pet products.

As a socially conscious entrepreneur, Williams realizes that he can make decisions that benefit people and their pets, the environment, and the bottom line. "As a company, we seek to serve by ensuring a healthy planet, efficient work, and a strong community. Our community is in the future."

For 25 years, Williams has been committed to creating jobs in Montana by continuing to invest in manpower and manufacturing. In 2020, when the pandemic hit the country, Williams and West Paw's team modified the facility to keep workers employed by manufacturing masks for healthcare providers, and developed special plans for customers to maintain shelf inventory . For his role in guiding the company through the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus, Williams was awarded the Montana Ambassador of the Year Award in 2021.

To reinforce his commitment to business as a force for good, West Paw became the first pet product manufacturer certified by B Corp to meet strict social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency standards. In 2015, West Paw became the first welfare company in Montana. In addition, West Paw is a founding member of the Pet Sustainability Alliance, and has been internationally recognized by the GlobalPETS Forum for its use of business to promote positive changes in society and the environment.

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