Ruben Martinez founded Custom Veterinary Services (CVS) in 2007, leveraging his wealth of experience in the veterinary dermatology industry. CVS originally started manufacturing dermatological products and added soft chew supplements to its lineup later on. 

According to Ruben, CVS has been a family business from day one, with each family member contributing to CVS’s success. The Martinez family — Ruben (RT), Madelaine, Ruben and Rene — work side-by-side in the company’s daily operations.

To help facilitate its next phase of growth, the Martinez family began the hunt for a capital partner in Q4 of 2020, eventually choosing Align Capital. The two finalized their partnership in March 2021, with Worth Turner coming on as chief executive officer.

CVS’s partnership with Align Capital has enabled the company to further expand to meet increasing consumer demand for soft chew supplements. The company moved from a 55,000-square-foot site to a new 150,000-square-foot facility, with the layout and infrastructure designed and customized to suit the need for additional capacity. 

Operations at CVS’s new facility officially began in February 2023, with a full transition completed in April. The site manufactures both soft chew supplements and dermatological products complete with a liquid manufacturing room, which produces shampoos, sprays, wipes and lotions, and a food manufacturing room (pictured here), which produces soft chews, powders and liquid nutritional toppers for pets. 

To produce its soft chew supplements, approved ingredients are combined and mixed into a dough, then cold extruded into a variety of shapes — from bones and hearts to squares, triangles and more. CVS utilizes cold extrusion to preserve the efficacy of ingredients and reduce its carbon footprint. 

Once the soft chews are extruded, the products are laid out on drying racks and sent to a large drying room, during which their water activity is constantly monitored until the desired dryness is achieved. 

After the soft chews are dried, they are tested in an in-house lab to ensure they meet required water activity, texture, viscosity and organoleptic quality standards. 

Product that passes quality testing are then moved onto to packaging. CVS operates various packaging lines, fulfilling various customer orders into customized jars and pouches. Though the company does not handle marketing and branding for its customers, CVS’s regulatory department reviews product labels to ensure they meet FDA, NASC and AAFCO guidelines. 

CVS works with customers that already have a product idea, as well as those that need brainstorming support from start to finish. It offers customizable solutions and leverages its expansive R&D team to develop new formulas. The company will develop product prototypes and samples before moving onto production to ensure products meet customer needs. 

One of the unique aspects about CVS’s business is that the company doesn’t have its own brand, meaning it can dedicate all its time and capabilities to its customers. To support this end goal, CVS’s employees commit to sharing the company’s core values (pictured above).

With pet health top-of-mind for consumers, the pet supplement market is anticipated to witness further growth, meaning more innovation and success for CVS. According to Turner, the pet supplement market is still in “early innings,” and future innovations in ingredients, need-based solutions and formats are poised to help this segment skyrocket.