Our Story
Premier introduces puppy toys to the Busy Buddy® family of products. The puppy line includes the Biscuit Block™, Squirrel Dude™, Twist 'n Treat, and Waggle™. The new ECO line features top selling products, made with eco-friendly materials. We also expand our cat toy offering by introducing the Funkitty™ Twist 'n Treat. Pogo Plush™ joins our plush line of sheepskin toys - however these toys contain no stuffing. No stuffing = no mess! Dr. Marty Becker features Gentler Leader®, Pogo Plush, and the Busy Buddy toys on ABC's Good Morning America. Premier continues to receive favorable mentions in various trade and consumer magazines and newsletters.
The Busy Buddy® family of products grows to include the Kibble Nibble™ activity ball; the Funny Bone™ with Gnawhide® Strips; and the Bristle Bone® (which is recognized with Pet Product News’ 2008 Editor’s Choice Award). The new PlaySafe™ Daycare Safety Collar brings peace of mind to owners in multi-dog environments, Extreme Fido Floats® join the Fido Float® line to provide more choices for safe water play, Galaxy Glow™ toys bring visibility to night-time fun, and the SpraySense™ brand anti-bark collar is introduced. Evan Wooton departs the Premier team. Dr. Marty Becker features Gentle Leader®, Easy Walk™ Harness, and Busy Buddy® toys on ABC’s Good Morning America. On-line ordering capability is launched for Premier retailers.
Premier expands into the treat category with the purchase of Liver Biscotti™. The MannersMinder™ Remote-Controlled Reward System is launched. Two of Premier's products receive awards in the industry. The Busy Buddy® Bouncy Bone™ is awarded the Dog Fancy Editor's Choice Awards and the Kool Dogz Ice Treat Maker™ wins the Pet Product News Editor's Choice Award. Once again, Premier is honored with the being one of “Richmond’s Rising 25” for the 5th consecutive year.
Premier debuts two new products in the Busy Buddy® line - the Bouncy Bone™ & Tug-a-Jug™ with amazing success. The Gentle Leader® is named as one of the “Best of the Past 60 Years in the Pet Industry” by Pet Product News. Dog Fancy awards the Ultimate Puppy Toolkit™ with an Editor’s Choice award. Premier receives mention in “Richmond’s Rising 25” for the 4th consecutive year.
Premier adds new products Squeeze Meeze™ latex toys, Kennel Komfy sheepskin pads, and Pro Leash® to its existing product line. And, under the Gentle Leader brand, launches both the new Easy Walk™ Harness and Treat Pouch by Terry Ryan. Always in the press, Premier is honored with the being one of “Richmond’s Rising 25” for the third consecutive year and is again highlighted as one of the “Fantastic Fifty” in May, 2005.
Currently, there are 86 employees that service thousands of accounts around the world.Premier expands its successful line of cat collars to include: Glo-Kitty™ and Pretty Kitty™. New Busy Buddy treats hit the marketplace. Premier earns two Virginia awards: “Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year” (Consumer Products), and “Virginia Business Fantastic Fifty” (Fastest Growing Companies).
New Busy Buddy® line of treat-holding rubber chew toys and Animal Planet products are introduced. United States Small Business Administration honors Sharon Madere and Evan Wooton with state and national “2003 Small Business Persons of the Year” awards.
Premier acquires Mann Designs, makers of Fido Fleece apparel and toys. Premier welcomes Chuck Mann to the management team. Animal Planet selects Premier to serve as its licensee to manufacturer dog toys, collars/leashes, coats and cat toys.
Premier acquired Animal Behavior Systems (ABS), Inc., a prominent provider of behavior management tools. With the addition of ABS, more products were added to the Premier line including an anti-barking system that utilizes citronella.
PetSmart and Petco made a strategic decision to purchase Premier’s highly successful Gentle Leader Headcollar and include it as part of their training offerings.
The Gentle Leader Headcollar was awarded the “Consumer Digest Best Buy Award.”Premier welcomed a new president and partner Evan Wooton who brought significant expertise and skills to this fast growing business. His track record for building business at Hallmark Cards and Three Dog Bakery was outstanding.
Premier purchased and moved 45 employees to a 24,000 square-foot building that included office space, as well as space to manufacture and warehouse its product line. Approximately 7,500 accounts were serviced during this time.
The Gentle Leader was recognized as the “number one endorsed headcollar by veterinarians and trainers.”
Premier gains rights to manufacturer and distribute the Gentle Leader headcollar. The company purchased and moved to an 11,000 square-foot location.
Due to Sharon’s tireless efforts to create high quality products and to provide exceptional customer service, the company and its product offerings continued to grow. Additional space was leased several times. Success was not instant, but slow and steady.
One month before the birth of her twins, Sharon and Premier moved to their first commercial location, consisting of 1600 square feet of space. Going against industry norms they established a “manufacturer direct” business-to-business account base, bypassing standard distribution channels.
Sharon Madere founded the two-person company weeks after her third child was born. With a $5,000 loan, she purchased two re-furbished sewing machines, a few boxes of raw materials and began making collars and leashes in a spare bedroom of her home. Their first product was the Premier collar, a modified Martingale-style collar. Soon Sharon’s sister was enlisted to help cut the nylon, sew collars and ship packages.
It all started in Richmond, Virginia, when Sharon rescued Shadow, a retired Greyhound. While home with two young children, Sharon wished more families knew what wonderful pets former track dogs could make. She became actively involved in Greyhound rescue and soon founded the Richmond chapter of Greyhound Pets of America.
While rescuing Greyhounds, Sharon recognized the need for Martingale style collars that fit the unique shape of the Greyhounds’ head, yet prevented the dog from backing out of the collar. Dog trainers and pet stores began contacting her to find out where they could obtain the specialized product. Because she believed in the product so much, she soon became a sales rep for a little cottage-industry company that produced the collar. With the permission of the company pioneering the innovative collar, she saw the opportunity to take the collar to a broader audience. That’s where the idea for Premier Pet Products began.
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