It's a career decision almost everyone faces at some point in their
lives. Either go into business for yourself, or to work for someone
else. For many, the decision doesn't take too long to make because the
resources needed to start a business can be hard to come by. That was
not, however, the case for two young men who, 60 years ago, found themselves
in the unique position of having the resources - as well as the knowledge
and the drive to start a pet food company.
In the early 1940's, both brothers were in the armed forces, fighting
in World War II. When they returned to their hometown of Medina, Ohio
several years later, Bill and Jack seized the opportunity to create
a product that would fill a gap in the pet food market at that time.
"My dad realized that there was an awful lot that could be done in
the area of pet nutrition - namely with dogs and cats," said Bob Kelly,
current president of Bil-Jac Foods and son of co-founder Bill Kelly.
"He thought a great improvement could be made in what was being offered
to the consumer."
In
1947, the brothers founded Bil-Jac Foods Inc. Coming up with a company
name was easy: They simply took their first names, dropped the last
letter of each and combined them. The company's initial product was
Bil-Jac Frozen Dog Food. "...a fresh product that is taken care
of properly and is not damaged in processing is by far the best way
to feed," Kelly said.
Consequently, only fresh meat sources were used in the food, and the
product was then frozen as a means to keep it fresh during delivery.
"It could also be stored for long periods of time, then thawed and fed
as necessary," Kelly explained.
Despite the fact that the brothers sold only 6 pounds of the food on
their first day in business, success ensued, with the first formulation
remaining the company's sole product for nearly 30 years.
A
Dry Idea
In the 1970's, Bill began to regularly field questions from customers
regarding dry dog foods. "People always asked my dad why he didn't have
a dry dog food, and I heard his answer many, many times," Kelly said.
"He said he wasn't going to make a dry food until he was confident that
he could present his customers with a product of the same quality as
his frozen foods."
Of particular concern to Bill was the traditional meat-rendering process
used in pet food manufacturing. "Most manufacturers get their protein
source from some sort of rendered meal, and the manufacturer has no
control over how these products are handled before they go into the
meal," Kelly explained. During this process, he said, the temperatures
used to dry the meat products climb so high that the nutritional value
is often sacrificed. Bil-Jac's founders did not want to sacrifice nutrients,
nor did they want to sacrifice control of this process to anyone else.
Eventually, during a 10-year period, the Kellys tested and developed
a vacuum-drying process by which moisture could be driven from the meat
products without losing the nutritional value of the meat. "We could
do this at about half the temperature of the traditional rendering process,"
Kelly said. With the process established in the mid-1980's, Bil-Jac
released its line of dry pet foods, which included Bil-Jac Select, Puppy
and Reduced Fat Dog Foods, as well as canine Liver Treats. It was the release of
the Dog Treats that led to another form of fame for Bil-Jac Foods.
"We discovered Bil-Jac because of their liver treats," said Gary Gero,
founder and owner of Birds & Animals Unlimited in Lake Forest, California,
which provides animal training and coordination services to the entertainment
industry. "I like to use them because they're as nutritional as the
Bil-Jac food. It's not like giving them junk." Gero now feeds exclusively
Bil-Jac products to the animals he trains, including the animal stars
of the movies such as "101 Dalmatians," "Batman Returns" and "Homeward
Bound II" and the pet regulars on TV shows such as "Frasier" and "Empty
Nest".
Unconventional
Marketing
Kelly readily admits Bil-Jac doesn't spend a lot of money on advertising
and promoting its products. This flies in the face of today's public
relations and marketing experts, who say doing so is surely a prescription
for the end of a business. But Bil-Jac has proven that's not always
the case. "We put our dollars into the manufacturing process, and we've
been successful," Kelly said. "Word of mouth is sometimes better than
going out and touting yourself".
Getting breeders, show enthusiasts, pet owners and pet retailers to
spread the word, then, is of utmost importance. One way Kelly said the
company achieves this goal is by getting potential customers to put
Bil-Jac products to the test. "We want them to comparison feed; we want
everyone to take the 'Bil-Jac Challenge,'" he said.
The challenge is akin to the taste tests often sponsored by soft drink
companies, in which individuals are asked to sample two different products,
unaware of which is which. The twist is that this taste test is for
pets, and it takes place in the owner's home. The procedure is simple:
"Take a bowl of Bil-Jac food and, at a regular feeding time, place it
next to a bowl of the pet's usual food," Kelly said. Then let the pet
decide.
Bil-Jac knows taste isn't everything. As humans know, just because
something tastes good doesn't mean it's good for us. Kelly stressed
the company's focus has always been to provide companion animals with
foods that meet their nutritional needs. "Our goal is not to be the
largest pet food manufacturer out there," Kelly said. "Our goal has
been - and will always be - to do the best job we can for dogs and cats."
Premium
Success
In the eyes of Bil-Jac executives, the premium pet food market is booming,
and Kelly said he doesn't see that changing anytime in the near future.
The company is growing at a rate of nearly 20 percent, and during the
last several years, Bil-Jac foods have hit the global markets of Japan,
Canada, Chile and Korea. "We're not actively looking for growth internationally,
but when we run into a good situation where there's a great international
opportunity, we take it." Kelly said.
So what will Bil-Jac do in the decades to come? The company keeps
quiet about its next project, but Kelly said customers can rest assured
new products are in the pipeline. For certain, even as Bil-Jac celebrates
its 60th year, it remains a family business. Co-founder Bill Kelly still
has a hand in business operations - even in his 80's - and Bob's brothers,
Jim, and Ray work in the marketing and logistics side of the business.
Bob said the family wouldn't have it any other way. "All three of us
worked here through the summers when we were in high school and throughout
college," he said. "We all knew that this is where we wanted to be."
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