MEADVILLE, Pa.—DAD’S Pet Care acquired ARKAT Nutrition, a Arkansas-based animal food manufacturer. ARKAT products include dog food, cat food, equine diets, commercial aqua-feeds, deer food, turtle food and dairy supplements. ARKAT Nutrition will now become ARKAT Animal Nutrition LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of DAD’S Pet Care.The addition of ARKAT’s…
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.—Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc., has purchased the company AQUATROL, a manufacturer of vacation food blocks, fish food flakes and various other tropical fish products. Doc Adams, who had previously owned Adam’s Tropical Fish, a large tropical fish store in Long Beach, Calif., started AQUATROL in the mid…
LINCOLN, Neb.—Nature's Variety has expanded its voluntary recall of Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diets for dogs and cats to include the "Best If Used By" dates of 10/29/10 and 11/9/10 because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling…
PHEONIX, Ariz.—Ryan’s Pet Supplies has launched a new and improved website. The site has a whole new look and a variety of new features, including faster search functionality, a shipping cost calculator and advanced search results. Shoppers on the new site can easily search for items by name, item number…
SECAUCUS, N.J.—Hartz has launched a line of pet bird and small animal diets called LM Animal Farms, designed to bring customers great nutrition at an affordable price. Every diet in the line is fortified with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and Omega-6 fatty acids based on the specific needs of the pet…
WENTZVILLE, Mo.—TropiClean Fresh Breath Made Easy! is a new generation of safe, natural products designed to make pet oral care simple. The line consists of four products that are designed to promote cleaner, healthier teeth while freshening breath. Clean teeth gel removes built up plaque and tartar without brushing; it…
BLACKSBURG, Va.—TetraCare, Tetra’s free, online aquarium support program, has updated its popular e-Minder program. Now, registrants receive money-saving coupons and special offers exclusively for TetraCare members.Written by fish lovers and aquarium experts, TetraCare e-Minders begin with how to prepare the water and when to add fish. Follow-up e-Minders coach users…
WICHITA, Kan.— BMBPET, a division of Rose America Corporation, has acquired Wayzata, Minn.-based Hyper-Products. The acquisition, which was finalized on February 5, will change the company’s identity to Hyper Pet. “The Hyper toy line broadens our assortment allowing us to offer a more comprehensive line to our customers. It’s a…
MUNCIE, Ind.—MidWest Homes for Pets has launched a new line of Pet Gates designed to “Keep Pets in a Good Place.” MidWest’s new wood gates are available in four styles and are designed to fit a variety of needs and various spaces within the family home. The Accordion design pet…
HAM LAKE, Minn.—Wapiti Labs, Inc. will be unveiling a new look for its products at the Natural Products Expo West and the Global Pet Expo in March. To capture a more targeted group of retailers and consumers, the company has taken a more natural-looking approach with the packaging of its…
Design Lab Appoints VPDesign LAB, Inc. has appointed of Phillip M. Cooper as the company's vice president of pet sales. "We conducted a national search for a candidate that had a thorough understanding of the pet industry coupled with the complete respect from his peers and one name came up…
ORLANDO, Fla.—CASCO, a leading manufacturer and supplier of pet and aquatic store fixtures, is offering one lucky retailer the chance to win a store makeover worth $25,000. To enter the sweepstakes, retailers attending the upcoming Global Pet Expo (March 25-27, Orlando, Fla.) simply have to fill out an entry form,…
LINCOLN, Neb.—Nature’s Variety has initiated a voluntary recall of their Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diet for dogs and cats with a “best if used by” date of 11/10/10 because these products may be contaminated with salmonella. The only products affected are limited to chicken medallions, patties, and chubs with a…
ST. LOUIS, Mo.—Nature’s Variety will offer one grand-prize winner $10,000 in cash and prizes for a store makeover as part of its Transform Your Store Sweepstakes at this year’s Global Pet Expo. The prize includes a consultation with a professional retail space designer, a glass freezer with one free fill…
WHEELING, Ill.—Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2010, marking Evanger’s as one of the oldest natural dog and cat food canneries in the United States. To commemorate this milestone, Evanger’s has launched the Signature Series featuring Cuts in Gravy as well as a freeze-dried…
DALLAS, Texas—Central Pet will host a Dallas open house at Cowboys stadium this spring. The open house (which will take place April 8, 2010) will include special stadium tours, lunch overlooking the field, and show specials. A variety of extras are also available to customize exhibitors’ booths, including logos on…
MEQUON, Wis.—Fromm Family Pet Foods has introduced a variety of grain-free canned foods–Four-Star cans and the classic Gold line, both for dogs, and Four-Star Cans for Cats. Four-Star cans are available in Shredded Pork, Shredded Chicken and Shredded Beef entrées. The Gold line recipes include Chicken, Duck and Chicken, and…
LOS ANGELES—DOGSWELL has launched a new online retailer portal, bringing even more support to DOGSWELL sellers. The new online portal allows retailers to control their store’s information and profile on the DOGSWELL store locator (including what products they carry), request POP materials and promotional items, give suggestions, access media files…
Phillips Builds Sales ForcePhillips Feed and Pet Supply has added four new sales managers and will now deliver from Maine to the Florida Keys. Russ Watson will lead the sales force for the New England region, in the position of regional sales manager. Ron Vinhateiro will cover Rhode Island and…
I first heard about the Pet Care Trust in 2003, not long after I began working on Pet Business magazine. An organization devoted to promoting pet ownership and proper pet care, the Pet Care Trust, under the direction of John Pitts, DVM, ran a great program called Animals in the…
Several major manufacturers have recently undergone brand redesigns. Some of these have been major – they’ve overhauled their logo, their packaging, and/or their formula, while releasing new lines and products – while others have been on a smaller scale, doing one or two of the above but not all, or…
I’m not in sales. Obviously. But, I seem to remember some maxim about not letting a customer leave the sales floor before the sale is closed, because once the customer says, “I’ll think about it and get back to you,” it’s over. That customer is not likely to come back.…
So, it’s the new year, and many people have made resolutions for 2010. I know this because the gym is now packed and it’s much harder to secure a treadmill. Most people make personal resolutions, to eat healthy foods, exercise, save money, etc. I made a few of those this…
My search for a new neighborhood pet store continues… As I wrote in my last blog (“Welcome to the Neighborhood”), my family recently moved to a new town, so we’re currently on the hunt for a new place to shop for our two dogs. My latest efforts found me surfing…
When my family and I recently moved into a new home, I was astounded by the number of promotional mailings I received from a variety of businesses in my new home town. It wasn’t a week after the deal closed when flyers began arriving from local drycleaners, take-out restaurants,…
In my new apartment, I’ve had a difficult time replacing the community-oriented businesses I enjoyed in my old apartment. Especially disappointing, considering that I work for Pet Business, has been the lack of a great pet store. Soon after moving, I canvassed my neighborhood, walking for 20 minutes in any…
This year the holiday season crept on me way before I had a chance to summon up any holiday cheer. I was dangerously on the verge of being the only one who shows up to a meticulously planned holiday gathering shamefully and completely empty handed because I just “wasn’t…
Time goes by too quickly. The little orange furball that I adopted when I graduated from college is now entering his senior years, and I’ve needed to make adjustments to accommodate him. This past year, Chewy has had some major urinary problems, resulting in bladder surgery and costing me over…
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