A Hartland-based herbal pet food manufacturer is doubling the size of its company with the recent purchase of a 43,000-square-foot industrial building in Oconomowoc.
Herbsmith Inc., which specializes in Chinese herbs for dogs, cats and horses, will also retain its 55,000-square-foot space at 455 E. Industrial Dr. in Hartland.
Since the company was incorporated in 2000 by veterinarian Drive. Chris Bessent, revenue has grown by more than 200 percent each year.
Bessent said she plans on doubling the company’s staff size from 20 to 40 within the next 12 to 18 months.
“The boom has just been crazy good,” Bessent said. “Not only did we need a new facility, but we needed more capacity so we could add the jobs.”
Mike Judson, of Judson and Associates in Pewaukee, said Bessent spent several months looking for a property between Oconomowoc and Pewaukee, but had a difficult time finding the right space because the area’s industrial real estate market is so tight.
Herbsmith purchased the building at 1823 Executive Drive in Oconomowoc for $2.6 million from Paragon Development Systems Inc.
The newly acquired space will be used for production, Bessent said.
In addition to the globally-branded Herbsmith line, the company is also a wholesale manufacturer of freeze dried pet food products and snacks under the name Wisconsin Freeze Dried LLC, which incorporated about three years ago.
Bessent has been a practicing veterinarian in the Oconomowoc area for 28 years. She said she wanted to create a product that improved overall animal wellness, while educating the public about the benefits of herbal blends for animals.
“Fortunately, we’re in an economy where we can really care for our pets, buy good products and feed them well,” Bessent said. “And the public is more educated about caring for their animals.”
Herbsmith is not the only rapidly growing pet food manufacturer in southeastern Wisconsin. Last year, natural pet food manufacturer Stella & Chewy’s moved its operations from a 50,000-square-foot facility in Milwaukee to a new 164,000-square-foot building in Oak Creek.
