Instinct CEO Gordon Dumesick addressed the crowd at a ceremony Wednesday dedicating the first phase of Instinct Pet Food's Lincoln West facility.
Kenneth Ferriera, Journal Star
Judging by the increase in television commercials, it appears that feeding canned or bagged food to household pets is no longer considered humane.
Kibble is now a bad word as natural products with meat, grains and veggies are now expected.
And that's reflected in the annual numbers: The pet food market is expected to be worth more than $120.8 billion in 2023, growing 5.6% this year.
Meanwhile, the premium raw pet food market grew 20% last year, said Gordon Dumesick, CEO of Instinct Pet Foods.
St. Louis-based pet food manufacturer Instinct has been riding this wave for years with its minimally processed, protein-rich, raw recipes that are never cooked, preserving more nutrients than cooked pet foods.
“Pet owners are moving away from ultra-processed foods and seeking real alternatives to help their pets live longer, healthier lives,” Dumesic said.
Anyone else reading this…
On Wednesday, Instinct, formerly known as Nature's Variety, cut the ribbon on the first phase of construction of its new $150 million facility in west Lincoln, which will create 175 new jobs and nearly triple its local workforce. The first phase also includes construction of a freeze-drying facility.
The ceremony was attended by Instinct's management team and board of directors, as well as Lt. Governor Joe Kelly and Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird.
“This will further solidify our community's position as a major pet food manufacturing location in the Midwest,” Gaylor Baird said, “putting Lincoln in the top ranks for the growth of the pet food industry.”
The city of Lincoln provided $3.5 million in tax increment financing to support the project, the mayor said.
Instinct's new facility is LEED certified, which will help the company reduce energy costs while protecting the environment, the mayor said.
“This is consistent with our climate action goals for the local community,” she said.
The final phase of the construction project will include frozen ingredient storage, grinding, mixing and blending operations and is expected to be completed by March 2025, Dumesic said.
“We're proud to be part of this community and are so proud to be investing so heavily in expanding our operations,” he said. “This investment not only demonstrates our confidence in Lincoln's future, but also signals the growth of natural, fresh pet food in the U.S. and around the world.”
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Where the U.S. exports pet food
Where the U.S. exports pet food
Interest in
Pet ownership is on the rise around the world
When the pandemic began and lockdowns were put into place, many in the animal protection business feared a surge in pet surrenders as the world returned to pre-pandemic normal.
A 2021 survey conducted by the ASPCA
It turns out that 90% of dogs and 85% of cats adopted in the U.S. are still in the homes where they were adopted. The pet food industry is facing unprecedented demand as more owners keep their pets in the U.S. and around the world. Even before the pandemic caused a wave of pet adoptions, North America had long been in the middle of a pandemic.
Largest market share
In the global pet food industry in 2020 alone,
The United States exported more than $1.7 billion
Value of dog and cat food. As pet care standards evolve in new markets around the world, with the humanization of our canine and feline companions as a primary driver, so too are opportunities for growth and innovation in the pet food industry. Key markets like the United States have and will continue to do so, reaping benefits both at home and abroad with foods that are organic, tailored to specific nutritional needs, or tailored to the pet's age. To determine the top 10 countries to which the United States exports pet food,
Ollie
Export data analyzed
U.S. Census Bureau
From 2010 through October 2021. The Census Bureau tracks pet food exports by analyzing Customs and Border Protection export data from all U.S. ports of entry by land, air, and sea. To learn more about this process,
here
To obtain the data, the product categories “230910 Retail Dog Food and Cat Food” and “2309901010 Retail Pet Food Non-Dog Food and Cat Food (kg)” were combined and summed for the period 2010 to October 2021. In addition to increased demand due to an increase in new pet owners, the industry is also facing the effects of the global supply chain crisis, meaning longer deliveries and higher prices for consumers. Some of the largest pet food manufacturers have told retailers to:
Limited shipment until early 2023
This can be especially tricky for picky eaters or pets with special dietary needs. Read on to find out which 10 countries import the most pet food from the United States. 
279photo Studio // Shutterstock
10. Colombia
– Total amount: $244.42 million
Canva
#9. Philippines
– Total amount: $335.85 million
Alonora // Shutterstock
8. New Zealand
– Total amount: $372.74 million
SunReal // Shutterstock
#7. South Korea
– Total amount: $436.63 million
Stock for You // Shutterstock
6. Taiwan
– Total amount: $452.22 million
Ching-Tung Lee // Shutterstock
#5. Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China)
– Total amount: $530.83 million
Wang Xin // Shutterstock
#4. Australia
– Total amount: $937.22 million
cktravelling // Shutterstock
3. Mexico
– Total amount: $1.02 billion
This is a thing // Shutterstock
2. Japan
– Total amount: $1.85 billion
Canva
1. Canada
– Total amount: $7.38 billion
This story originally appeared on Ollie , produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
EB Adventure Photography // Shutterstock
The writer can be contacted at 402-473-7391 or psangimino@journalstar.com.
Twitter @psangimino
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