KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US — Nearly 300 professionals from throughout the United States made their journey to sunny Kansas City, Missouri, for the inaugural Pet Food Processing Exchange, a conference hosted by Pet Food Processing, a sister publication of World Grain, and parent company Sosland Publishing Co. Held from Oct. 6 to 8 at InterContinental Kansas City at the Country Club Plaza, the event far surpassed expectations, providing attendees extremely valuable insights and opportunities for fostering connections.

The inaugural event was sponsored by Kemin, Wenger, Handtmann, Camlin Fine Sciences and Parker Freeze Dry, and had the support of industry organizations Food Production Solutions Association (FPSA), the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC), and the Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA). 

Attendees of the event included pet food, treat and supplement manufacturers, ingredient and equipment suppliers, as well as companies interested in broadening their horizons in the lucrative pet nutrition market. 

“The Pet Food Processing Exchange was designed to unite industry influencers, thought leaders and decision makers,” said Meyer Sosland, chief operating officer and executive editor of Sosland Publishing.

“The Pet Food Processing Exchange was designed to unite industry influencers, thought leaders and decision makers,” said Meyer Sosland, chief operating officer and executive editor of Sosland Publishing.

Pet Food Processing Editor Kimberlie Clyma, added, “Pet Food Processing strives to be the leading knowledge source for the formulation, production and safety of pet food. When developing the agenda for this inaugural event, we quickly realized our goal was the same — to create a program that would mirror our magazine’s essential content — all while amplifying insights and igniting conversations. I believe we’ve accomplished just that.”

On Oct. 6, attendees gathered for an informal meet and greet before the big event to begin sparking conversations and connections.

Day One

The event officially kicked-off Monday at 8 a.m. with a thought-provoking presentation by Michael Johnson, principal of consumer strategy at BSM Partners, on “A Look at the Pet Food Industry — Today and Tomorrow.” Johnson provided an overview of the industry, revealing its growth, trends and attitudes on today’s pet parents, and opportunities for the industry looking to the future. He also highlighted the imperative need for better consumer education. 

Following this, Brittany White, Ph.D., vice president of research, development and engineering and commercial enablement at Ollie, took attendees on a deep-dive into the latest trending ingredients in the pet nutrition space — from alternative proteins to postbiotics — and forces fueling the use of more emerging ingredients, like sustainability and transparency. 

Attendees then heard from Custom Veterinary Services’ Chief Executive Officer Worth Turner, who discussed how processors could find the right supply chain partners. He shared how third-party manufacturing has evolved, key aspects to examine in partners and the essentials of what makes a successful partnership for both parties. 

“Manufacturing success today comes down to speed, flexibility, transparency, innovation and humility,” Turner said during the event.

Speaking of the supply chain, Jim Ritchie, president and CEO of RedStone Logistics and instructor at the University of Kansas, hopped on-stage and shared the current state of logistics and the supply chain. He dove into current macro-economic factors in the labor market, manufacturing, consumer conditions and more. Additionally, Ritchie advised attendees on how they can best address these logistical and supply challenges, like creating action plans for truckloads and much more.

Following a lunch and networking break, Mallory Gaines, director of market access and multilateral affairs at the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), took the stage to detail how pet food processors and suppliers could take advantage of global expansion. Gaines provided an overview of the pet food market in regions throughout the globe, detailing several opportunities for US manufacturers and suppliers. 

“You need to do a market assessment on some level,” Gaines explained during the event. “You need to know what the regulations are, what the tariffs are, and consider the political climate in that country and their relationship with the United States.”

Andrea Binder, vice president of retail account development at NielsenIQ, then provided a look into the latest pet food data, including e-commerce and retail trends, the impact of inflation, growth of key pet food segments and more. Additionally, she highlighted that pet foods containing plant-based proteins are continuing to proliferate the market, boasting their overall share and dollar growth.

Following a networking break, attendees then gathered for a panel in which Scott Krebs, president of Wenger; Amy Patterson, president of Petsource by Scoular; Jeremey Couture, director of business development, pet specialty group at Nestlé Purina Pet Care; and Tom Rychlewski, vice president, food and beverage operations at CRB discussed the state of the pet food industry. The panelists shared their expertise about humanization, leveraging emerging ingredients, the evolving demographic of pet parents, overcoming supply chain challenges, implementing sustainability in product R&D, operations and more. 

To end the day, attendees then took to the rooftop for a cocktail reception, allowing them to network and share more insights with speakers, experts and other industry professionals. 

Day Two

Day two of the Pet Food Processing Exchange began with an insightful panel on The Plant of the Future. Brian Lakari, vice president of operations at Carnivore Meat Company, Greg Powers, vice president of Cool Stuff at Gray Solutions, and Andy Daly, client delivery partner at Microsoft, discussed several advancements in pet food manufacturing facilities. 

These experts talked about automation’s role in ensuring employee and food safety, the importance of connectivity and data, how artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and other advanced technologies can be used to address a business case and much more. 

Following a networking break, food safety expert Billie Johnson, Ph.D., food safety and regulatory compliance manager at BHJ North America, presented about how pet food processors and ingredient suppliers can ensure food safety — and prevent recalls. She shared her insights about traceability, performing thorough mock recalls, good environmental monitoring programs and more. 

“Food safety encompasses planning, testing, improving and repeating it again and again,” she said during the event.

Anne Klein, senior sustainability business manager with the Pet Sustainability Coalition, then took the stage to provide processors insights into a highly popular topic: sustainability. She discussed various ways processors can address their environmental impact, including incorporating sustainable ingredients, using alternative packaging and building internal “green” teams. 

Building off Gaines’ presentation on day one, Husch Blackwell Partner Fang Shen provided more insight into fostering overseas partnerships, by delving into complex legal challenges. In order to ensure successful overseas partnerships, Shen recommends that manufacturers understand the local and legal environment, perform due diligence on potential partners to ensure reliability, develop a good, written contract that details provisions, keep in mind fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, outline how disputes will be resolved through which legal systems and more.

Ending the conference with a bang, Stephanie Clark, Ph.D., assistant director of special services at BSM Partners, discussed trends in pet food and treat product development through an attention-grabbing cookie analogy. According to Clark, consumer demand for healthier pet foods, improvements in processing technologies, packaging and storage, advancements in nutritional science, and increasingly strict regulations on quality and safety are all fueling popular trends in pet food. 

The success of this event can be largely attributed to the event speakers who delivered insightful presentations, shared their expertise, and engaged the audience with thought-provoking discussions.

Planning is already underway for Pet Food Processing Exchange 2025, planned for Oct. 19 to 21 in Kansas City, Mo. Whether it’s discovering the latest trends, gaining fresh insights or learning new strategies from industry experts, Pet Food Processing Exchange is the place to trade ideas and create meaningful connections to stay ahead in this rapidly evolving industry. 

“Our mission for this inaugural event was to create a space where pet food and treat manufacturers and suppliers could come together to exchange strategies and best practices to drive our industry forward,” Sosland told the audience at the close of the event. “Hopefully we accomplished just that.”

Keep an eye-out for upcoming details on Pet Food Processing Exchange 2025.