Explosive Growth Earns Carnivore Meat Company a 3rd Consecutive Spot in Inc. 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies
GREEN BAY, WI (August 19, 2021) – Carnivore Meat Company® has been recognized for a third consecutive year among the fastest-growing private companies in America. The company ranked No. 2811 nationally and was the third highest ranked business in Green Bay, Wisconsin on the 2021 Inc. 5000 annual list for exceptional growth.
The annual Inc. 5000 list, is the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses. Carnivore Meat Company is a family owned and operated business that gained recognition for their exceptional growth beginning in 2019 and have continually been recognized for their efforts. Most recently, they were ranked No. 155 in the Midwest Regionals Inc. 5000 list for 2021.
Carnivore Meat Company has been crafting natural frozen and freeze-dried pet food, treats and snacks since their founding in 2012. Even before the company launched, their flagship brand, Vital Essentials® took on a life of its own. “Vital Essentials has been an integral part in our company’s growth and in actualizing our mission to deliver our delicious and nutritious, ultra-premium pet food to pet parents, who want us or need us, anywhere in the world,” says Melissa Olson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Carnivore Meat Company.
Not only have the companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 been very competitive within their markets, but this year’s list also proved especially resilient and flexible given 2020’s unprecedented challenges. Among the 5,000, the average median three-year growth rate soared to 543 percent, and median revenue reached $11.1 million. Together, those companies added more than 610,000 jobs over the past three years.
Carnivore Meat Company is no stranger to exceeding growth expectations with its 141% 3-year growth rate. The company has always taken an innovative approach to their products, manufacturing and even how they do business with others. A key component of their success is the ability to envision emerging market opportunities and proactively aligning the organization to remain on the cutting edge, anticipate accelerated growth and always look for ways to say “YES” to fuel the exponentially growing consumer demand for ultra-premium freeze-dried products.
“Carnivore’s Culture has been integral and, in many ways, the catalyst to our rapid growth and success. Our pioneering and innovative mindset, the ability to ‘shift on the fly’ and our commitment to helping each other get a little better every day are a few examples of our intentional and purposeful approach to the business and the ever changing and rapidly growing industry we serve” states Lanny Viegut, CEO and owner of Carnivore Meat Company. “I’m very proud of our people and blessed that our clients ranging from distributors to retailers to consumers, along with our suppliers, support us in the way they do.”
Growth in the pet industry is at an all-time high as more pet parents enter the marketplace and search for pet foods that solve problems like sensitive skin, allergies and weight loss. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a drastic increase in pet ownership to a record breaking 70% in the US, according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2021-2022 National Pet Owners Survey.
There are thousands more people seeking out healthy foods for themselves and their pets, creating numerous opportunities in not just pet food but in all pet related categories as well. Carnivore Meat Company saw an immense surge in sales during the pandemic, but even before that, their sales were on a continual growth trajectory as more pet parents became aware of the ingredients in what they feed their pets and how that affected their pet’s health and wellbeing.
“With consumer demand on the rise, Carnivore Meat Company will be investing in more machinery, talent and facility expansions throughout this year and well into 2022. The company’s 2019 Sustainability Initiative is in full force to increasing capacities and production efficiencies while intentionally reducing their carbon footprint. The Inc 5000 recognition is just one testament to how much we’ve grown over the past few years and we will continue to proactively position ourselves for what we believe is a long-term, rapid growth trend in the ultra-premium pet consumable space,” says Olson.
“The 2021 Inc. 5000 list feels like one of the most important rosters of companies ever compiled,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. “Building one of the fastest-growing companies in America in any year is a remarkable achievement. Building one in the crisis we’ve lived through is just plain amazing. This kind of accomplishment comes with hard work, smart pivots, great leadership, and the help of a whole lot of people.”
About Carnivore Meat Company
Carnivore Meat Company is an award-winning manufacturer of ultra-premium raw frozen and freeze-dried pet food and treats. The Green Bay, Wisconsin company’s rapidly growing brands include Nature’s Advantage®, Vital Essentials®, VE RAW BAR and Vital Cat®, which are distributed to over 6,000 retailers nationwide, in 14 international markets and online to Chewy.com, Amazon, PetFlow.com and others. Long considered a raw pet food pioneer, the company’s freeze-dried products division supplies private label, co-packing and ingredients to customers globally. Carnivore Meat Company is family owned and has been recognized for its growth accomplishments and manufacturing excellence with a number of awards in recent years, including Greater Green Bay Chamber Growth Award, Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Award, Governor’s Export Achievement Award, Greater Green Bay Chamber Manufacturing Award of Distinction and Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies. www.carnivoremeat.com
Methodology
Companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2017 to 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2017. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2020. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2017 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to three decimal places. There was one tie on this year’s Inc. 5000. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.’s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.
About Inc. Media
The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including web sites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Vision Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
