Rocket science for pets launches into US

A playful rabbit named Scratch and his guinea pig friend Newton are enjoying success in the USA – with a bit of help from their human colleagues and UK Trade & Investment.

The animated pair are the faces which represent the innovative pet product company Scratch & Newton, based in Killinghall, North Yorkshire. Designer Lydia Ross is the inspiration behind all the products – such as the insulated feeder that keeps pets’ water cool in summer and prevents it freezing in winter and the insulated covers for pet hutches that use material developed by NASA for the US Space Programme.

Scratch & Newton’s managing director Steve Bolton has been working with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) to develop the company’s overseas sales.

Says Steve: “We had just got a contract to supply Pets at Home, the biggest pet products retailer in the UK and we were beginning to look out for opportunities overseas. We first contacted UKTI through Business Link North Yorkshire, where our advisor Steve Richardson pointed us in the direction of applying for a TESS grant.  Then I attended a UK Trade & Investment master class on doing business in the US, which was really informative.

“It focused on a lot of the simple things that get overlooked by UK companies seeking to do business there, such as the effects of the climate and the very different business culture.  It was while I was at the master class that I found out about the upcoming market visit to the US for local companies in the region.  The visit was primarily for technology based companies, so Scratch& Newton was something of an outsider, but the trip nevertheless had fantastic results for us.”

Led by Simon Bedford, UKTI’s regional sector specialist for overseas joint ventures and investment, the US market visit went to New York and The Greater Richmond Partnership in Virginia.

Simon adds: “Our Yorkshire companies got a taste of the fast-pace of the New York business scene alongside the gentler but no less efficient approach to doing business in Virginia. The Greater Richmond Partnership gave each of the Yorkshire delegates an individually tailored programme to follow, as well as their own driver to take them to appointments.  For Scratch and Newton the programme in Virginia identified their ideal match in a partner company.”

Premier Pet Products LLC in Richmond, Virginia, is well-known for developing products that help improve the relationships between people and their pets.

Sharon Madere, who founded the company in 1989 and her colleague Evan Wooten were voted National Small Business Persons of the Year across the whole of the United States in 2002. The company has sales throughout the United States in channels ranging from mass merchants to individual vets and trainers as well as a growing international business.

Steve recalls: “Within just a few minutes of meeting Sharon I knew we were on the same wavelength. As soon as she saw our brand, she invited us back to the States to join her at her stand at the Global Expo trade fair in Orlando, Florida.

“This was a fantastic opportunity to get better acquainted as business partners as well as to get an insight into the pet-care trade worldwide.  I got a better idea of the scale of the industry when it took me three days just to walk around the exhibition centre!

“We have now agreed to develop eleven new products for Premier Pets' new small animal range, including a completely thermal insulated hutch with the insulation built into its structure and some 'intellectual toys' for pets.”

Meanwhile Scratch & Newton have now got almost 700 Premier Pets' products on their books which they have exclusive rights to distribute, plus access to some 15,000 new customers through their new US partner.

“We couldn't have done it without UK Trade & Investment, it's as simple as that,” says Steve. “It would never have happened. With just a handful of employees we had none of the resources required to sit down and develop a business strategy for cracking the United States and Simon and the team from Business Link North Yorkshire were both instrumental in helping us do this. What's more a lot of our contacts in the States both in New York and Virginia were put together by Simon over here in Yorkshire, and this ensured that we met the right people and didn't waste valuable time on the overseas visit.”

Scratch & Newton are now looking to expand into other international markets with the help of UK Trade & Investment services at home and abroad.

For more information visit: www.scratchandnewton.com