Omni Pro Pet starts production in the UK

“Moving our production to the United Kingdom will allow us to grow our EU business by eliminating such barriers as transit time and difficulties at customs, while providing faster delivery times,” says Leigh Kirtley, president and founder of Omni Pro Pet. Another reason cited by Leigh Kirtley for moving production to Europe was the increased regulatory environment inside the EU.
Omni Pro Pet found a suitable cooperative partner in Golden Acres. The two began working together in February, and production got under way in the UK in August. Both the super-premium and holistic dry food lines from Omni Pro Pet are manufactured at Golden Acres’ UK plant. The super-premium line comprises 23 SKUs covering all life phases of dogs and cats. The foods are made with chicken and salmon as protein sources and brown rice as a carbohydrate. The holistic formulas are salmon & potato and salmon & sweet potato.
So far, Leigh Kirtley has not regretted the decision to move production to the UK. “We are very pleased with the quality of the product that has been delivered from this plant. The response from the marketplace has been very good,” comments the proprietor. This is in spite of initial scepticism, because the EU marketplace perception views US products as far superior. Leigh Kirtley hopes that “we can change this incorrect perception.”
Rapid growth
Leigh Kirtley started Omni Pro Pet in 2004 to round out her export business K & K Pet Products. Launched in 2000, K & K Pet Products exported treats and cat litter to 51 countries. Pet food for dogs and cats fitted in well with the programme, and the fact that the company had already acquired a good reputation in the pet supplies business proved extremely beneficial when Omni Pro Pet was established. The company started with a line of super-premium dry foods. In September 2006, the company launched a holistic canned food line with unique ingredients such as caviar, sweet potatoes and pheasant. As with the dry food, moist food products were developed for different life stages. The range includes a holistic dry food line too – and this isn’t the only special feature. Leigh Kirtley says: “We feel that this is the future of pet food, as this is one of the fastest-growing categories in the industry.
90 per cent of Omni Pro Pet’s sales are transacted outside the USA. Its biggest customers are Turkey, Indonesia, Hong Kong and France, although it also perceives great potential to exist in the US market. The moist food line…