PET Food Processing - October 2019 - 43

PROCESSOR PROFILES

PEDIGREE OVENS
& The Pound Bakery

As a dream-team co-manufacturer of pet treats, Pedigree Ovens and The Pound Bakery leans on humanization to drive success for the numerous brands it
produces It is heavily involved with helping its clients break into new markets and expand product
lines. In fact, that's the way the company began.
Pedigree Ovens and The Pound Bakery grew with
the small businesses and brands it worked with in the
beginning, running 300- or 500-lb. batches to work
out kinks in product development and packaging.
Pedigree Ovens and The Pound Bakery manufactures complete-and-balanced companion animal
diets, bird and fish food, horse and reptile treats,
and even treats for kangaroos, but its bread and
butter is baked dog treats. Aside from baking, its
capabilities include extrusion, cold-extrusion and
dry blending. Since completing its new processing
facility, Pedigree Ovens and The Pound Bakery can

run small-batches and large volumes of product.
The co-manufacturer invested $32 million in a
brand new, 212,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing plant,
which was completed in December 2017, to maximize its processing flexibility and capacity. Its goal
is to be highly reactive to new trends and innovations in products, ingredients and packaging. By
keeping one eye on the movements in the market
and the other on growing its clients, Pedigree Ovens
and The Pound Bakery have secured success for
themselves and their brand partners.
Kurt Stricker, president of Pedigree Ovens and
The Pound Bakery, started the business with a
piece of equipment he bought from an auction
and a 5,000-sq.-ft. space in an old dairy building.
Today, the co-manufacturer continues to make clean
pet treats with human ingredients, just on a much
larger scale.

BARRETT
Petfood Innovations
F
Family-owned Barrett Petfood Innovations is a USbased co-manufacturer that ships globally and sources
locally. The company produces more than 150 formulas of animal food for dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, fish,
livestock and zoo animals. In the dog and cat food
category, Barrett mainly produces super-premium
extruded products, such as those with high fresh meat
inclusions, as well as premium treats.
The company was founded by Mike Barrett, who
passed down the business to his two children, Tom and
Sarah Barrett, in the early 2000s. Tom is currently the
vice president of business development and purchasing, while Sarah serves as vice president of operations
and head of quality and regulatory affairs. Mike is still
involved with Barret Petfood Innovations - his farm is
one of the company's main ingredient suppliers.
Barrett Petfood Innovations' nutritional philosophy
is centered around "keeping it local" by sourcing fresh
ingredients from local famers and suppliers whenever

possible. Tom says the three most important factors
for developing a product that is well-received by the
pet owner and the pet are proper nutrition, palatability, and the right marketing and packaging. Delivering
proper nutrition and palatability are essential to helping that pet thrive and maintain a high quality of life,
while well-targeted marketing allows that product to
stand out on the shelf, Tom explains. As a co-manufacturer in an increasingly fragmented market, Tom says
another key aspect of a successful pet food business is
product differentiation.
In August 2019, Barrett Petfood Innovations broke
ground at its second manufacturing facility in Little
Falls, Minnesota. The 160,000-sq.-ft. facility will feature extrusion technology that will allow Barrett
to "push the barriers further in fresh ingredients,"
including fresh meats, fruits and vegetables, Tom
says. The Little Falls facility is expected to be fully
operational by July 2020.

FAST FACTS
Founded: 1997
Headquarters:
Harvard, Illinois
Manufacturing:
212,000-sq.-ft.
processing plant
built in 2017
Brands:
Co-manufacturer and
produce The Pound
Bakery house brands
Website:
www.pedigreeovens.com

FAST FACTS
Founded: 1982
Headquarters:
Brainerd, Minnesota
Manufacturing:
Brainerd and Little Falls,
Minnesota
Brands:
Co-manufactures more
than 150 formulas; no
company-owned brands
Website:
www.barrettpetfood
innovations.com

www.petfoodprocessing.net | 2019 | PET FOOD PROCESSING

http://www.pedigreeovens.com http://www.barrettpetfoodinnovations.com http://www.petfoodprocessing.net

PET Food Processing - October 2019

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