Ben Wright was promoted to president of the family-owned business, succeeding his father, Bud Wright, who will remain chairman and CEO.

Champion Petfoods officially opened its new NorthStar kitchens in Alberta, Canada, spanning 426,000-sq.-ft. and the capacity to produce up to 300 million lbs. of kibble per year.

The company created a research advisory board to help guide future whole-food animal nutrition research initiatives.

A recent market survey of processors commissioned by Pet Food Processing revealed a forecast of mostly positive with a chance of challenges for pet food and treat manufacturers.

The contest, “Uplift the Underdog: Cat Edition,” plays off the company’s previous efforts to encourage adoption of dogs and cats that are seen as less adoptable due to age, health or behavior.

The company was invited to present at the 2020 ICR Conference in Orlando Jan. 13 to share its business model, impressive growth and future growth plan.

United Petfood has purchased private label manufacturer Effeffe Petfood.

In an effort to educate consumers and truly back his brand, Mitch Felderhoff of Muenster Milling Company will eat nothing but kibble and freeze-dried dog food and treats for a month.

The company said it plans to close two distribution centers and a few smaller storage warehouses in favor of opening a new distribution center in Carlisle.

GA Pet Food Partners has named James and William Bracewell, as well as Lois Woods and John Hewitt, to leadership roles.