Invertebrates in great demand

Pet Factory boss Martin Höhle has been fascinated by reptiles since he was four years old. Deciding to turn his passion for these creatures into a career was a no-brainer, therefore. His company came into existence from a purchasing syndicate of breeders and reptile enthusiasts who had become friends. When the demand for the products and species on offer increased markedly even at reptile fairs and similar events, Höhle decided in 2005 to establish his own company.

The founding of the company coincided with an upturn in reptile keeping and its development into a popular hobby not just for specialists, but for the whole family. Martin Höhle concedes that the German market has now become saturated in some areas, which is why his company is increasingly looking to grow outside its domestic market. 40 per cent of the Pet Factory’s sales are now transacted in non-German-speaking countries, and it has experienced positive development in Scandinavia, Italy and Spain in particular in recent years. It has also secured a favourable market position in the UK market. Martin Höhle believes that the market in Russia, which is still largely unexploited, could prove very interesting in future if a suitable opening arises.
The company has been operating as a wholesaler too since 2007, and 90 per cent of sales are the result of selling to retailers. Private customers are located predominantly in regions where the speciality trade doesn’t cover invertebrates, or specialist stores are a long way away.
The range of products offered to the pet supplies trade is extremely broad. It extends from original Back to Nature aquarium backgrounds, products for breeding live food, substrates and food supplements under the American Repashy brand to various decorative items and accessories. The Pet Factory stocks between 700 and 800 products in all, accounting for roughly 50 per cent of overall sales. Invertebrates are another line of the business responsible for the other half of the company’s sales. The company imports and exports beetles, millipedes, spiders and many other invertebrates worldwide and has made a significant contribution to the strong development of this segment in the speciality retail trade. A modern dispatch warehouse and its own breeding facilities are located on the Pet Factory’s 700 m2 site.