The number of babies per family has been falling, but the number of pets, on the other hand, does not stop growing. In June 2024, Brazil reached the mark of 160 million pets, which places the country among the largest in the world in the amount of domestic animals.
Companies that have seen this wave start back, are managing to surf this wave and grow more and more. One of these examples is Special Dog Company, founded in 2001, in Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, in the interior of São Paulo, which began as a small plant for the manufacture of foods for dogs and cats.
With the growth of the sector, the company also multiplied in size and already earns more than 2 billion reais. Who tells the story of the company, the journalist Mariana Amaro, in the new season Do Zero to the topis Priscila Manfrim, Executive Director of Special Dog.
Special Dog Company
Founded by brothers Eric and Mário Manfrim, the company has consolidated itself as one of the three largest domestic animal food manufacturers in the country. Now, with the second generation in charge, the company bets on new units to strengthen its operation and expand its reach.
Currently, Special Dog is present in more than 38 thousand points of sale in Brazil. For over two decades, all its production and logistics were concentrated in Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, interior of São Paulo, where the company originated.
However, the need to optimize distribution led to the creation of new Distribution Centers (CDs). Three years ago, the company inaugurated its first CD in Curitiba, improving the delivery in Greater Curitiba, Santa Catarina and facilitating the entry into the Rio Grande do Sul market.
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In 2023, Special Dog took another strategic step and inaugurated a new distribution center in Extrema, Minas Gerais. This unit, larger than Curitiba, was designed to serve part of the Minas Gerais market, as well as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. In addition to these centers, the company maintains smaller operations in Mato Grosso and Uberaba (MG).
“Our next breakthrough will be through the first manufacturing expansion outside Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo. The new industrial unit is being structured in the city of Mateus Leme, Minas Gerais, located about 70 kilometers from Belo Horizonte. We are expected to start operations the first half of 2026, and the new factory aims to expand productive capacity and meet the growing demand for pet food in the country. ”
26 thousand tons of feed per month
The executive points out that Special Dog produces about 26,000 tons of feed per month. The operation is divided into four factories for the production of dry foods and an exclusive unit for humid foods.
“All this volume supplies the domestic market, consolidating our presence in different regions of the country,” he says.
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With a diverse portfolio and a strategy focused on quality and excellence in service, the company is positioned among the leaders of the segment.
“Our differential is the quality of products aligned with a service of excellence, ensuring that the feed reaches the end customer the way he expects.”
About zero to the top
In more than 200 episodes, Videocast/Business Podcast from scratch tells the story of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs behind the largest companies in the country.
In each episode, Zat brings a founder or founder in a frank conversation about how he started business, the challenges faced over the years, uncertainties and decisive moments for the company.
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