Animal Supply Company is leading the wholesale market as a trusted distributor serving independent pet retailers around the corner and across the nation
Pets are truly part of our families. Whether it be a dog’s excited greeting when you walk through the door, admiring a unique feature on a tropical fish, or a cat curled up in front of the fire, our pets have the potential to make our day with the simplest of activities or behaviors.
Committed to ensuring our pets live happy and healthy lives, Animal Supply Company (Animal Supply) is a leading distributor of wholesale pet products across the US. A genuine passion for animals runs through the core of the business, which is evident in Animal Supply’s mission to provide a wide selection of the highest quality products, including in-demand brands and unique options that can’t be found anywhere else.
Animal Supply has been an accredited business since 2022 and is a proud partner of the Pet Sustainability Coalition, as well as a founding member of the Indie Pet Group. To learn more about these accolades alongside the company’s evolution and current portfolio, we speak with Sevy Maurer, Senior Director of Vendor Sales and Marketing. 
“Our founders, Randy Reber and John Shine proudly launched Animal Supply in 1987 with 28 independent Purina Feed dealers, a 20,000-square-foot warehouse in Auburn, Washington State, and just one Kenworth T-800 semi-tractor trailer,” Sevy begins. “These humble beginnings and retailer relationships are what our company is built on today. We have now grown to operate 17 distribution facilities across the US, which house more than 35,000 SKU numbers.
“As a leading distributor of wholesale pet consumables and supplies, we not only distribute dry goods nationwide, but we also specialize in the fresh and frozen categories. Freeze-dried pet foods are one of four alternative pet food forms that have grown by more than 20 percent in recent years, compared to a two-to-four percent growth rate for kibble food.
“The fresh, raw, and freeze-dried categories, which provide pets with a high protein diet with less fillers and processed ingredients, have been gaining momentum for over two decades, and today, we deliver fresh and frozen products to more than 6500 customers across all retail channels. According to investment firm, Cascadia Capital’s ‘Pet Industry Overview: Summer 2024’ report, freeze-dried food and treats are also less processed compared to other options, and therefore provide a limited ingredient panel to suit dogs with allergies or sensitive stomachs.
“Other benefits of raw and freeze-dried foods can be seen on the outside of your pet too, such as better skin and coat, less shedding, and less waste in the backyard,” Sevy continues. “However, this is not to discount the high-quality kibble and can assortment we offer as we only serve the highest quality products in all categories. We want our pets to have the top options that work for the pet parents’ budget and lifestyle.”
In today’s competitive landscape, Animal Supply has adopted a robust strategy to ensure growth among its customer bases. “We provide our customers with a consultative approach to their business strategy by providing market data insight and SKU assortment recommendations to support those customers in areas of category growth,” Sevy elaborates. “We recognize that innovation is key to customer success and growth in today’s multi-channel marketplace, but we also understand the need for us to provide a diverse product assortment to meet the specific needs of each region. While we strive to be the first to market with emerging brands, we simultaneously focus on emphasizing our regional brands.”
On the topic of new brands, Sevy is keen to highlight Animal Supply’s latest relationship with Charmy Pet (Charmy). “To reiterate, our vision at Animal Supply is clear: to create a world where every pet is happy, healthy, and safe,” she states. “The goals and mission of Charmy Pet perfectly aligns with our own values, helping millions of dogs thrive with natural food, boosters, and treats.
“One of Charmy’s strategic advantages is their traceability QR codes, which offer full transparency about their sourcing practices from the state where it was produced to information on each ingredient. This commitment to sustainability and the use of high-quality, North American proteins with no fillers reinforces our shared priority of providing only the best for pets.”
In a conversation with Sevy, Zach Sheng, Co-Founder of Charmy Pet, commented: “Charmy is shaking things up by introducing a completely new category of pet food – freeze-dried raw. In a market where products often feel the same, our ‘When East Meets West’ line is a game changer, combining enriched protein and medicinal traditional Chinese herbs to offer therapeutic benefits that are both innovative and meaningful to pet parents.”
With Eastern herbs as a key ingredient, Charmy’s forward-thinking recipes require a well-informed sales team to educate customers on the health benefits associated with these ingredients. “All our teams are unmatched when it comes to product knowledge and ingredient expertise, including our sales team, making us the perfect partner to bring Charmy’s exciting new range to market,” Sevy says.
With one of the largest distribution networks across multiple retail channels, Animal Supply is well positioned to support Charmy’s entry to the pet food market. “We plan to service large national retail chains with the Charmy brand across all warehouses, so retailers can be confident that all our locations will stock and market the brand,” Sevy confirms. “We also train our associates on the products regardless of the size of their business, so they can confidently share the brand’s story with their customers.
“We strive to provide our retail customers with a wide, strategic assortment of products to help them grow their brick-and-mortar channel. We know that treats are a high velocity category, for instance, and for pet parents who prefer high-quality ingredients, these products ensure customers return to the store.
“As part of this mission, we’re continuously growing our portfolio within the fresh and frozen categories to meet increasing demand for natural, healthy pet foods. Across all segments, we’re partnering with more brands like Merrick, Zukes, and FirstMate, just to name a few, to provide a broad product portfolio.”
While the company’s passion for animals is evident, it’s also clear to see Sevy’s personal passion for her work. Highlighting her career journey, Sevy outlines the reasons for her passion: “I entered the pet industry as a buyer with Pet People, a local retailer based in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio. When I applied for the role, I was unaware that I fit into the company’s top 50 customer base, as my two American Bulldogs thrived on high protein foods.
“At the time, the store was promoting a ‘cooling’ protein which effectively blocked environmental allergies causing severe hot spots in my dogs; it was as though someone had flicked a switch and stopped all my vet bills associated with my dogs’ allergies just by changing their food! This interaction was when I realized that helping pets and pet parents was my career calling, and I began applying my experience in corporate retail to more relevant roles. As they say, the rest is history, and I love working in a role that combines my professional skills with my passion for pets.”
As our conversation draws to a close, Sevy shares the company’s current priorities: “We are constantly expanding our portfolio of healthy and sustainably sourced pet foods, so customers can expect some terrific new brands, as well as the introduction of several new toy lines to complement our existing portfolio. Our Export Business is identifying new opportunities for our brand partners and helping them navigate the challenging regulatory environment from country to country. We’re also stepping up our marketing game by highlighting brand partners and communicating regularly with our retailers to stay ahead of industry innovations.
“Further afield, I want to see more high-quality brands emerging in this industry,” Sevy concludes. “Innovation sparks growth and keeps the independent channel relevant at the forefront of the market, which is where the magic happens for smaller brands like Charmy Pet. We are continuing our focus on independent retailers and national accounts, as well as expanding our export business.”