Address: 2842 S. Fifth Court, Milwaukee, WI 53207
Website: www.stellaandchewys.com
Year Founded: 2003
Product or service offered: High quality freeze-dried and frozen pet foods and treats for both dogs and cats. The company features fivie dinners for dogs and six dinners for cats.
Projected 2012 revenue: $18 million
Leadership: Marie Moody, founder and president; Jen Guzman, chief executive officer
Target clientele: Stella & Chewy’s customers include dog and cat owners seeking healthy and tasty dinners and treats for their pets. All of our products are made with wild-caught fish, cage-free poultry, and natural meats, and we add organic fruits and vegetables and vitamins and minerals to our dinners to make them 100 percent complete and balanced.
What has fueled your company’s growth? “Our growth has been fueled by several factors. The first is the quality of our ingredients and our product. Pet owners are looking to make healthy choices for their pets, which has attracted them to Stella & Chewy’s products. And because of the ingredients that we use, our products have a taste that dogs and cats naturally crave. As a result, a lot of our growth has been driven by providing free samples of our product for people to take home to their pets. Another key factor that has fueled our growth is attracting the right talent to our organization. We have an amazing team of employees. Our decision to locate the business in Milwaukee has also been key, because it gives us access to a very talented workforce and many supportive partners in the community.”
What is the biggest obstacle to your company’s growth? “Our biggest obstacle has been managing rapid growth and supporting our capital requirements. We have grown the business on average by 83 percent annually since 2008 and we’ve gone from one employee in 2006 to 139 employees today. Furthermore, in November of last year, we expanded from a 13,000-square-foot facility to a new 50,000-square-foot facility. We have been fortunate to have a partner like Park Bank that has continued to provide additional capital and the flexibility we’ve needed to meet our growth objectives.”
Do you plan any changes in your company in the upcoming months? “Our business is changing quite rapidly. We continue to look for and hire great people. We recently hired the company’s first ever director of marketing and we are looking to expand our marketing efforts in the upcoming months to further educate consumers, veterinarians, and retailers on the benefits of feeding Stella & Chewy’s. We are also investing in additional equipment to expand the plant’s capacity to support customer demand.”
What is the outlook for the business conditions of your industry over the next several months? “The pet food industry has proven to be fairly resilient to recessions. The overall pet food market has grown at approximately 5 percent annually over the last two years and was estimated at $19.85 billion by the American Pet Products Association in 2011.”
What is your company’s key strategy for rising out of the recession? “The core of Stella & Chewy’s strategy is to stay true to our product quality and company values. We strive to provide the healthiest and tastiest products for your pets so that they can live longer, healthier and happier lives. In a recession, that special bond people share with their pets is even more important than ever.”
