David Shorthouse has been appointed business development manager at Northern Ireland-based Mackle Pet Foods.
While the company’s best-selling brand, Naturo Natural Pet Foods, has reached shop shelves in countries as far away as South Korea and Canada, building the brand closer to home, across England, Scotland and Wales, remains a key focus.
David’s appointment will see Mackle working more closely with independent retailers across the UK. He brings with him experience from 18 years within petcare at Inspired Pet Nutrition and Nestlé Purina.
Commenting on his new role, David said “These are exiting times to be joining Mackle Petfoods, a family-owned business which holds huge potential. There are brand plans to the grow the pet specialist channel with a channel specific offering and we look forward to seeing what the future holds.”
INVESTMENT
Following on from the announcement of a £5.7m investment in the brand, Naturo has shown strong growth in recent years, supported by expansion of the range, which has included three new three Grain and Gluten Free Cans in a Herb Jelly, Senior Dog variety pack, and Adult Mini Dog variety pack, in the first quarter of 2021 alone.
Since its launch in 2010, Naturo has grown from four varieties to 38 this year. Ranges include dog food options in grain free trays, with rice trays, grain- and gluten-free cans and grain-free dry food, as well as options for all stages of life from puppy to senior. Naturo delivers its food in packaging made from 100% recycled materials.
Operating over two state-of-the art facilities in Northern Ireland, Mackle Petfoods has grown its capacity to produce 50 million trays and 70 million cans per year, keeping up with the demand for Naturo’s natural product for dogs and cats, as well as other petfood brands in its portfolio.
These facilities have also allowed for the introduction of a new super-premium treat brand, Norsh Petfoods, another % natural offering of raw freeze-dried treats for dogs and cats.
Commercial director Elaine Hall said: “Naturo stands out in the pet trade market as a fantastic, natural option for dogs and cats. Last year, we launched a pet trade exclusive line of 12 pack formats, which have been extremely popular due to changing consumer habits of bulk buying. We have seen tremendous growth recently, and we plan to build on this even further.”
