Not unlike food made for humans, Plato's process focus on taste and palatability.
The Real Reason
Merrell and his team’s hard work and dedication have contributed greatly to the success of company. Without it, Plato might not be in the position it is, continuing to do well and see good growth. But something else helped Plato early in its life.
Nicole Nonini, marketing director for Plato, explains the impact of recalls among large pet food brands that occurred in 2007. During this period consumers began to lose faith in what they were feeding their pets. Plato came into the market knowing the quality of its treats and exactly where it was sourcing its ingredients.
“People were concerned that these large brands were having all these huge recalls and that drastically affected the market to call for this demand of premium treats,” Nonini says.
“I wasn’t happy about the fact that it kind of shattered a lot people’s trust in the industry and obviously a lot of people went through a lot of pain and suffering with their dogs,” Merrell says of the recalls. “But it did wake people up to start paying attention to what they were buying.”
While the recalls worked in Plato’s favor, it’s always been about the dogs and dog owners for the company. Merrell knows how most people feel about their dogs; that they’re part of the family, the babies, and as such deserve to be given treats that taste good and are also good for them.
“Whether it’s that they have more drive to perform a trick when you’re trying to train them, or if you’re just trying to reward them and give them some love, you want to see them happy, and that’s what makes you happy,” Merrell says. “Otherwise, why would you buy a dog treat.”
Vets and Pets
Shelter to Soldier is a non-profit that brings post 9/11 combat veterans together with trained, rescue dogs to help each other recover and move forward. Plato recently sponsored a dog for the program. “It was really neat to be able to watch that and be able to share those things with the community,” Nonini says.
The veteran paired with the dog has sent Plato numerous emails thanking Plato and explaining how his life changed after being paired with the dog. In addition, Plato involves itself heavily in the rescue community and supports local no-kill shelters with donations of treats.
“We’re very passionate pet people ourselves,” Nonini says. “It’s not that we’re just making a treat to put on the market, it’s because we actually really love our dogs.”
