Freshpet CEO Says People Are Spending More on Their Pets And Want Healthy Food

Freshpet CEO Richard Thompson says the fresh pet food brand still has a lot of runway to grow and can easily expand to 35,000 retail locations across the country. Freshpet’s refrigerators are already in 13,000 retailers around the United States from Kroger to Target to Petsmart. Thompson said, ‘if you look at health and wellness trends and also the humanization of pets, people are taking better care of their pets. We’re at the right place at the right time with Freshpet with a healthy food.’ Thompson said his focus for 2015 will be raising the brand’s awareness, from its current level of 20 percent, with new television advertisements and digital campaigns. In the fall of 2014, Freshpet teamed up with Youtube video producer Shareability to create ‘Freshpet Holiday Feast’ and Thompson says the company’s website saw a substantial spike in traffic which he hopes will translate to increased sales this month. TheStreet’s Ruben Ramirez reports from Orlando.