Doane Pet Care

Doane Dog Products

Doane pet care was for a long time one of the leading manufacturers of pet foods in the US. The company’s operations were taken over by the Mars group in 2006 but the operations of the company remained mainly unchanged. Some of the products that the company produces include dog biscuits and many types of dry pet foods. On acquisition by the Mars group, the company’s operations went a notch higher and, in addition to producing branded products, the company began producing products for other pet food companies.

Doane products have been used by pet owners for many years. The company was started in 1954 and, in addition to serving retail customers, had established a marketing system that made use of the existing large scale merchandisers. One of the large-scale merchandising enterprises that was used to distribute Doane products was Wal-Mart. Other large scale outlets for Doane products were animal feed stores and pet store chains. In addition to using the retailers and large-scale merchandisers, the company had its own branded stores all over the US. The company was run from the headquarters in Brentwood, Tennessee.

The takeover of Doane pet care by the Mars group did not fundamentally change the operations of the original company. In fact, it would appear that the company was only acquired by a more established player with a big global presence for Mars has been in existence much longer. Founded in 1911, the company is mainly known as a maker of confectionary but it has many other operations. Even as a confectionary making company, Mars has bigger and more established competitors in the US but it has an enviable global market. The acquisition of Doane by Mars therefore meant that a bigger and more diversified entity was created.

The Mars group is truly diversified. Apart from pet food and the pet care products that it produces, the company is also one of the market leaders in production of snack foods and main meal foods. In addition, the company produces automated payment systems in addition to making machines for the vending of soft drinks. To appreciate the strength of the Mars group, perhaps it is worth noting that the company controls about 15 percent of global candy business.

As a truly global player, Mars is present in more than 60 countries. In addition, its various products are sold in more than 150 countries. The huge range of products it sells includes various types of candies and Pedigree dog food. Although owned by the same company, some of the brands under the Mars group are run quite independently of each other as if they were different companies. In the past attempts have been made to merge some businesses into single units especially outside the US.