VANGUARD AWARDS

Pet owners often turn to limited ingredient diet foods after exhausting other possible avenues in trying to resolve food allergies or sensitivities, so leading suppliers in the category like Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company and FirstMate Pet Foods take their role in pet health and wellness very seriously. That both these companies own and operate their own canneries gives them extra oversight in not only the quality of ingredients procured and used but also control over supply and fill rate, ensuring a continued fruitful partnership with retail partners.

“Evanger’s continues to be at an extreme advantage in all aspects of the business being a family-owned and run cannery that makes its own Made in the USA food from the freshest of ingredients,” said Evanger’s and Against the Grain Pet Foods President and Owner Holly Sher. “We are able to experiment and innovate daily to create our oneof-a-kind line-up of products. A perfect example of this is our Nothing Else: 100 percent I’m Single line from Against the Grain.”

The I’m Single line is a unique loaf-in gravy offering featuring just one protein ingredient—there are six to choose from: pork, turkey, chicken, beef, salmon or duck.

Limited ingredient diets have been a major growth driver in the premium pet food market, said Matt Wilson, Director of Sales and Marketing for First-

Limited Ingredient Dog Foods

Mate Pet Foods. “Our limited ingredient diets continue to be a driving force for growth and customer retention due to their unique formulation and proven track record of success. We remain committed to our mission of providing high-quality, limited ingredient diets that address food sensitivities and improve the health and well-being of pets. We are excited to introduce new products, such as our New Zealand Beef Limited Ingredient Diet, and continue to innovate to meet the evolving needs of pet parents and their pets.”

Wilson elaborated on FirstMate’s capabilities. “The past few years have highlighted the importance of being a manufacturer not just for control over quality, but for additional confidence in continued supply and fill rate. Owning and operating both a dry facility, and cannery in Western Canada has kept

FirstMate in a strong inventory position. Direct lines of communication to our ingredient and packaging suppliers, as well as ongoing production expansion projects ensure consistent quality and inventory for our retailers and pet parents,” Wilson said.

This has been the case for Evanger’s as well. “Being able to control the supply and deliver premium, affordable and consistent canned food to pet parents really helped to broaden our fan base and visibility,” Sher said. “Evanger’s prides itself on our ever growing and evolving lines of problem-solution foods for both dogs and cats. That success and notoriety comes only from our extensive educational outreach and programs we have in place.”

That education is possible thanks in large part to the relationships Evanger’s has cultivated with its long-term retail partners. Sher said, “Through our independent retailer relationships, we are better able to address and adapt to their customers’ needs and wants, which in turn give them a unique and beneficial pet food line that keeps them coming back for more.”

Wilson shared, “Our retail partners are forward-thinking and share our commitment to quality, innovation and customer satisfaction. They understand the importance of a product that feeds well and a brand that listens to aid in developing joint growth strategies.”