Small startup transforms into multi-million-dollar pet business

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Snoozer Pet Products is a company that makes high-end dog travel supplies and dog beds. Now they are known all over the world for their quality dog products, but that wasn’t always the case. In fact, the company actually began as a small basement startup that made heaters to keep dogs warm when they were inside their dog houses.

Now the company rakes in over $8 million a year making their high-end dog products in South Carolina. The company has grown out of the basement and into a 50,000-square-foot manufacturing plant that is run by Gary and Brian O’Donnell. The brothers employ over 65 local people who cut, sew, and assemble all of their products.

According to the American Pet Products Association’s National Pet Owners Survey, about 65% of American households have dogs. That translates to about 80 million American homes. That number continues to increase steadily every year, so there is no question that the demand for pet products is growing as well.

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The O’Donnell’s say that when they were children animals were used more for working and most were kept outside the home. They understand that today that isn’t the case, and many dog owners think of their pets as family. Dog owners want their canine companions in the home and as comfortable as possible.

As a result, many owners are looking for beds and other dog products that can be easily cleaned and are attractive when displayed around the house. For this reason, the brothers say that their products are meant to blend in with the décor of a home. They manufacture beds that are meant to be seen as a piece of furniture, not just an old dirty dog bed lying on the floor.

Snoozers Pet Products offers many different style beds including some that are lined with Sherpa fabric, trimmed with fur, and even some that are designed to look like small microsuede sofas. They make beds to fit every breed from Yorkies to Newfoundlands.

Some have a blend of cedar chips to control odor and others are made of polyethylene foam. The company also has a line of orthopedic beds for senior pets with arthritis or dogs with other joint problems. Some of their beds even come with memory foam toppers.

Snoozers even manufactures dog beds with temperature-regulating fabric to keep dogs warm in the winter and cool in the summer. All their dog beds are covered in removable upholstery-grade fabrics that are machine washable. They also offer water-resistant models for use outdoors.

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