PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 15

capitalizing

PLANT PROFILE

ON KIBBLE

Saying 'yes' has made C.J. Foods a thriving processor of premium pet food and treats.
By Jennifer Semple | jsemple@sosland.com

T

The growth of super-premium and ultra-premium pet
foods has exceeded expectations for at least the past 10
years growing in the US at a rate of nearly 6% CAGR
year-over-year between 2011 and 2017 according to
market research company Euromonitor International.
With the super-premium category of products now
reaching across all retail channels, the challenge of
sourcing top-quality ingredients and producing those
products to exacting standards leaves brands struggling
to meet the demand for these high-end products. For
more than 30 years, co-manufacturer and private brand
producer C.J. Foods, headquartered in Bern, Kansas, has
been the secret partner helping brands satisfy the pet
owners' need to feed super-premium and ultra-premium
dry, extruded pet foods and treats to the pets they love.
Co-manufacturers allow brands the flexibility to respond to rapid change in the markets they serve. During
General Mills Inc.'s investor day presentation in July,
Blue Buffalo Pet Products, Inc.'s President William W.
Bishop addressed what he called the company's hybrid
manufacturing strategy which includes company-owned

facilities as well as co-manufacturing partners. He listed
many benefits to this approach. It allows Blue Buffalo to
gain flexibility and productivity, remain innovative and
control its supply chain as well as drive margins, he said.
Often, pet food companies turn to C.J. Foods to solve
the processing challenges created by the expectations of
today's consumers. C.J. Foods currently produces dry
kibble for 35 of the top U.S. super-premium and ultrapremium brands. To meet the needs of its customers,
C.J. Foods employs nearly 500 team members at its six
processing plants - two in Pawnee City, Nebraska, two
in Bern, Kansas, one in Baxter Springs, Kansas, and one
in Brownwood, Texas - for a combined total of 620,000
sq. ft. of plant space from which the company produces more than 400 million lbs. per year of extruded pet
foods and treats.
This past July, C.J. Foods invited Pet Food Processing to
tour the plant referred to as BP30 in Pawnee City, which was
custom built to C.J. Foods' specifications in 2011. Chuck
and Joyce Kuenzi established C.J. Foods in 1985 and purchased what the company now calls BP10 in Pawnee City.

C.J. Foods packages
on average more
than 2,000 SKUs per
month across all
locations. For one
customer, a single
kibble recipe is combined with different
inclusions into 15
package variations.
Photography by Sprout
Communications

www.petfoodprocessing.net | September 2018 | PET FOOD PROCESSING

15


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PET Food Processing - September 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PET Food Processing - September 2018

Pet Food Processing - September 2018
CONTENTS
OFF THE LEASH - Learning curve
TRENDS - Can appeal
PLANT PROFILE - capitalizing ON KIBBLE
SMALL BUSINESS PROFILE - the BUTCHER shop
EDUCATION - Extrusion Cooking 101
REGULATORY - International EXPORTS
FOOD SAFETY - COLD cure
INGREDIENTS - really CLEAN
WORLD MARKETS - South Africa PET FOOD
FORMULATION - balancing ACT
EQUIPMENT - the NEXT STEP
OPERATIONS - What could go WRONG?
PACKAGING - up and COMING
BEST IN SHOW
EVENTS
INDEX
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - Pet Food Processing - September 2018
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - Pet Food Processing - September 2018
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 2
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 3
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 4
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 5
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 6
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - CONTENTS
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - OFF THE LEASH - Learning curve
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 9
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 10
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - TRENDS - Can appeal
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 12
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 13
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 14
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - PLANT PROFILE - capitalizing ON KIBBLE
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 16
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 17
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 18
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 19
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 20
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 21
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 22
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 23
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 24
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 25
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 26
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - SMALL BUSINESS PROFILE - the BUTCHER shop
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 28
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - EDUCATION - Extrusion Cooking 101
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 30
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 31
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 32
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - REGULATORY - International EXPORTS
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 34
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 35
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 36
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - FOOD SAFETY - COLD cure
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 38
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 39
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 40
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - INGREDIENTS - really CLEAN
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 42
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 43
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 44
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 45
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 46
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - WORLD MARKETS - South Africa PET FOOD
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 48
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 49
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 50
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 51
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 52
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - FORMULATION - balancing ACT
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 54
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 55
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 56
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 57
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 58
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - EQUIPMENT - the NEXT STEP
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 60
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 61
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 62
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - OPERATIONS - What could go WRONG?
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 64
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 65
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 66
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - PACKAGING - up and COMING
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - BEST IN SHOW
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 69
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 70
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 71
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - EVENTS
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 73
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - INDEX
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 75
PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 76
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