Targeted Pet Treats (TPT) has no brands of its own, something that the company sees as a strength. Instead, TPT focuses solely on partnering with and providing solutions to its customers in the pet industry. The company has a significant presence in the pet chew toy segment, providing a turnkey service for new and current pet brand customers, but another primary market for TPT is pet treats.
“Targeted Pet Treats has a strong desire to be excellent in every aspect of the business,” says Gregory Austin, president of TPT. “To that regard, we pay close attention to even the smallest of details. We have no proprietary brands of our own, so our focus is 100 percent on partnering with our customers to help build their brands. In addition, TPT has long been known for our innovative abilities. We are very good at creating solutions for our customers and helping them bring new products and concepts to market.”
Major growth opportunities in pet treat partnerships
The pet treat customers TPT works with have helped drive major growth for the company. Several product launches in 2017 and 2018 have been doing well, according to Austin, driving both TPT’s sales and the sales of TPT’s customers. It’s a win-win that has resulted in TPT gaining recognition for its growth.
Targeted Pet Treats’ specialty is injection-molded dog treats, with the ability to create any shape and texture treat a customer requires. In particular, the company specializes in long-lasting and dental treats, responding to current industry trends. | Photo courtesy Targeted Pet Treats
“TPT was recognized for the first time in 2017 by Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States,” says Austin. “We accomplished this again in 2018, showing triple-digit growth over a three-year period (sales have grown over 120 percent to over US$30 million). Along with growing our work force and creating jobs in the Warren, Pennsylvania area, TPT has invested considerable dollars in capital expansion having improved the manufacturing process at our plant, acquired three additional off-site locations to facilitate the growth and purchased new, automated equipment to improve the infra-structure at our manufacturing facility.”
Automation has played a big part in the growth and changes at TPT, as the company ensures it can keep up with customer demand and the latest pet treat trends.
“We have enhanced our manufacturing process to help us keep up with the increases in volume,” says Austin. “This is especially noticed in our Packaging Center of Excellence. TPT has invested significant capital in updating and expanding the equipment required to provide state-of-the-art packaging for our treat business.”
Dental treats: a top pet treat trend
With functional pet foods and treats becoming more for a focus for pet owners, TPT has seen a rise in the need for dental treat solutions.
“Pet health is a growing concern for pet parents and providing functional treats, especially dental treats, that improve or enhance the quality of life for our pets is more than a trend but a shift to normal in the pet industry,” says Austin. “The dental category for pet treats continues to grow and this is a strength for TPT — it’s part of what we do best. If we continue to do business the right way, we see great opportunities to help customers in this category.”
Dental treats also offer access to other treat trends, according to Austin, including pet parents’ desires for healthy options and their requests for long-lasting products.
“The dental and long-lasting chew segment should continue to enjoy steady growth with healthy options, including grain-free, all-natural and limited-ingredient treat products,” he says. “TPT is very grounded and realizes that this business can change very quickly. That’s why we constantly devote a segment of our leadership team to working on new concepts, strategies and capabilities.”
The future of Targeted Pet Treats
TPT takes great pride in its culture, ensuring that staffing to accommodate the company’s quick growth occurs with as much care and thought as it deserves.
“TPT takes great pride in our culture and making sure that our team members are a good fit for us and that we are a good fit for them,” says Austin. “Our culture and core values programs are essential to our success.”
At the end of the day, TPT’s secret to success is simple: the company takes its brand-building partnerships very seriously.
“For the pet industry brand owners, we are honored that our customers view us as an extension of their organization,” says Austin. “We only source the best ingredients and convert them into great-tasting functional treats while providing brands with value-added packaging and commercialization solutions. We are committed to fulfilling our mission, to ‘Building Your Brands with Excellence.’ Guaranteed.”
Just the Facts
Headquarters: 151 Struthers Street, Warren, Pennsylvania, USA
Facilities: Plant, offices, office extension, and warehouses all in Warren, Pennsylvania
Officers: Rhonda Haverlack, co-founder/principal; Gregory Austin, president
Sales US$25-35 million range; 92 percent growth over last three years. Recognized on Inc. 5000 list of “Fastest Growing Private Companies” 2017 and 2018.
Brands: We are a contract manufacturer of dog treats for many recognizable dog food and treat companies across the US. We have no brands of our own.
Distribution: USA, Europe, China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan
Employees: About 250
Website/Social Media: www.targetedpettreats.com; @TargetedPet on Twitter; LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/targetedpettreats/
