Business
Katie McCarron is the Founder of Portland Pet Food Company (PPFC), a global manufacturer of human-grade dog meals and treats based in Portland, Oregon. Katie launched PPFC in 2014 after finding success formulating meals at home for her aging poodle, Rosie. Today, using the same recipes she developed for Rosie, PPFC provides dogs across the USA, Canada, and Japan with products that are free of preservatives, additives, or artificial ingredients. With an emphasis on local sourcing and sustainability, the company’s mission is to provide dogs with the same quality food that their humans eat. Before launching PPFC, Katie worked in healthcare administration, education, and business development. Her first business, Academic Network, provided educational programs for international food and pharmaceutical companies. In 2008, she sold the company and focused on engaging with women-owned business and support organizations. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Katie McCarron explains what the term “human-grade food” means How Katie's poodle, Rosie, inspired the founding of Portland Pet Food Company (PPFC) and the steps Katie took to start making and selling pet food How Katie's products were received by conventional retail stores, how she distributed them, and how she expanded to different states Katie talks about serving health-conscious pet owners and taking the plant-based route How PPFC was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of online shopping Katie talks about educating pet owners about her pet food products, her brand’s bakery for dog food, and their new product line How switching from in-person meetings to Zoom meetings with buyers has affected entrepreneurs The plans Katie has for selling in retail stores, growing exports, and connecting with different types of buyers Katie's advice on buying good pet food In this episode… Would you eat the food meant for your pet? Do you know the ingredients used to produce your pet's food? In a bid to provide her pet with healthy, human-grade food, Katie McCarron started making dog food at home using the ingredients that were available in her kitchen. She saw a great improvement in her pet's appetite and health, which inspired her to start Portland Pet Food Company after realizing that no similar product existed in the market. In this episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast, Katie McCarron, the Founder of Portland Pet Food Company, gets interviewed by Steve Cleere about her journey in building a human-grade pet food brand. Katie explains how she entered retail stores, how she has been growing her export market, how she has been educating pet owners about her healthy pet food products, and her future expansion plans. Stay tuned. Subscribe and Listen on: iTunes Spotify Stitcher Google Play Deezer iHeartRadio TuneIn Amazon Music Resources Mentioned in this episode Kitchen2Shelf NexxtLevel Marketing Portland Pet Food Company Portland Pet Food Company on Amazon Portland Pet Food Company on Chewy Katie McCarron on LinkedIn Instacart Western United States Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA) Sunrise Fresh USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Purina Cool News: The NexxtLevel Brands Podcast has just been named as one of the Top 15 CPG-Themed Podcasts on the web!!! We're at Lucky #7 and you can get more information about Feedspot and how you can watch more of your favorite shows here: Top CPG Podcasts – Thanks to Feedspot, Rise25 and our Production Team! Sponsor for this episode... Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow. Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.