PetSmart has announced the board of directors¡¯ approval to increase its quarterly dividend by 233 per cent beginning in the second quarter of fiscal 2009. The board of directors also authorised a $ 350 million stock purchase plan that expires in January 2012. ¡°PetSmart continues to perform well,¡± said Bob Moran, Chief Executive Officer and Preside...

Zoo Centr in Valmiera is the largest pet store in the Baltic states Naturediet has now joined forces with the distributors Interaltus and Zooserviss in Estonia and Latvia respectively. Established in 1994 by the Korge family, Interaltus is one of the premier suppliers of speciality food products in Estonia. The country¡¯s southern neighbour Latvi...

The Danish Vital Petfood Group has joined a very limited group of pet food companies in Europe achieving ISO 2200 accreditation. ¡°The best was that the auditors complimented all staff members on the high commitment shown during the past nine months,¡± said Paul van der Raad, COO of Vital Petfood Group. For more than ten years the products have b...

A speciality retail park with over 8 000 m² of retail area opened in Bardejov in eastern Slovakia on 11 June. The Austrian MID Group has invested over Euro 10 mio in the venture. As well as various international retail chains, regional firms, food outlets and entertainment offers, the retail park also features a ¡°Superzoo¡± pet store. Wi...

Robert Moran Petsmart Inc. reported on June 18 that its board of directors has appointed Robert Moran to the position of chief executive officer. Moran, who has been the Phoenix-based company¡¯s president and chief operating officer since 2001, will retain his title as president. Moran, 58, is replacing Phil Francis, who will stay on as executiv...

The organiser of Aquarama, UBM Asia Trade Fairs Pte. Ltd., reports that more than 4 300 trade visitors came to Singapore and 14 520 other visitors attended the show during the 1½ days that it was open to the general public. 65 per cent of the trade visitors came from outside Singapore, with overseas visitors from 80 countries as compared t...

With a current staff of 292 full-time employees, German company Trixie exports its products to distribution partners in 66 countries on all five continents. As of 1 June, France is the only market apart from Germany in which stores are to receive supplies directly from Trixie. Following the sale of the distribution arm of its former distributo...

Garden centres are becoming hotbeds for pet memorials and coffin sales as a way to keep business going in the recession.Watford-based Initial Monogram Co has sold house numbers through 250 garden centres for 17 years but now it is launching a range of pet and human memorial letters and numbers. Farewell My Pet manager Jay King said September ...

Caterpillar Inc. announces the launch of its first pilot Cat branded retail lifestyle store in the Dubai Mall. The store represents the first of several Cat branded lifestyle stores planned in test markets around the world throughout the next two years. This foray into the global retail landscape reinforces Caterpillar as a lifestyle brand while ...

The German trade association ZZF, also organizer of the Interzoo through its WZF organization, has re-elected Klaus Oechsner as President of the ZZF association. Also the other board members have been re-elected. The ZZF also recently appointed Richard Wildeus as new executive director, replacing Rolf-Dieter Gmeiner, who retired.

Aquascape, Inc. has set the date and theme for the 10th anniversary of Pondemonium, the water garden industry¡¯s premiere business and networking event. From July 16-19, distributors, contractors and retailers will come together for the event designed to help grow their water garden businesses. According to Ed Beaulieu, chief sustainability offi...

Sherpa Pet Group has signed a licensing agreement with PEZ for the creation of a new brand¨CPez for Pets. The license agreement includes the rights to use the PEZ logo, font, the unique dispenser design, and the shape, color and flavors of the briquette candies. Pez for Pets takes the classic Pez dispenser and transforms it into a larger, doggi...

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) has named Michael Farmer chairman of the board; Roger Morgan vice chairman; and Paul D. Cooke secretary/treasurer. Additionally, Diane Peterson of Mulligan Stew has been newly elected to the Board of Directors. As chairman, Farmer presides over all meetings of the Board of Directors, the governing bod...

Wahl Clipper Corporation celebrated its 90th anniversary with employees and customers at the 2009 International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago on March 22. Founded in 1919, Wahl continues to bring quality and innovation to both professional and home groomers. Over the past nine decades, Wahl has grown and diversified to become one of th...

P&G Pet Care has chosen the Austrian wholesaler Vitaform as its new distributor for Austria. The company will take full responsibility with immediate effect for the import, sales and marketing activities for ¡°Eukanuba¡± and ¡°Iams¡± in Austria. P&G Pet Care is confident that this decision will ensure that its trusted and well established brand...

The packaging manufacturer Mondi Consumer Flexibles has almost doubled the size of its production plant in Bekescsaba, Hungary. The new construction comprises a production hall covering nearly 2 500 m², with a new curing room and a 1 500 m² warehouse for cylinders. Mondi Consumer Flexibles intends to use the extensions to the productio...

The US pet supplies chain PetSmart increased its net sales in the first quarter of the year by 9.5 per cent compared with the same period last year to $ 1.3 bn. Comparable store sales grew 3.9 per cent in the first quarter, the company reported. Net income was $ 46.3 million in the first quarter of 2009, compared to net income of $ 41.2 million i...

Avex Baumarkt opened its first Czech DIY store and garden centre in Valasske Mezirici (Valmez) in south-east Czechia on 28 May. The Prague franchise headquarters has been affiliated to the German Baywa Group since the start of the year through a cooperation agreement with BHSS (Baywa Handels-Systeme-Service GmbH). The first store, in the large...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has initiated a grant program to support the development of new animal drugs intended for minor species or minor uses in major species. Major species include: Dogs Cats Horses Cattle Pigs Turkeys ChickensAll other animal species, except humans, are considered minor species. The grant program was establishe...

The Procter & Gamble Co., which manufacturers Iams and Eukanuba pet foods, unveiled plans on May 28 to move its North American pet care operations from Dayton, Ohio, to nearby Mason, Ohio, this fall. The pet care operations will become part of P&G¡¯s Mason Business Center, where the company¡¯s oral care, personal health and pharmaceutic...