Carnivore Meat Company
Carnivore Meat Company manufactures premium raw frozen and freeze-dried pet food and treats from its Green Bay, Wisconsin facility—the largest freeze-dried pet facility in North America. It sells proprietary brands (Vital Essentials, Vital Cat, VE RAW BAR, Nature's Advantage) to 7,000+ U.S. retailers and 14 international markets, and offers private label and co-packing services to other pet brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1968
- HeadquartersGreen Bay, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Carnivore Meat Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Carnivore Meat Company
- Legal name
- Carnivore Meat Company LLC
- Website
- https://carnivoremeat.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1968
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Carnivore Meat Company manufactures premium raw frozen and freeze-dried pet food and treats from its Green Bay, Wisconsin facility—the largest freeze-dried pet facility in North America. It sells proprietary brands (Vital Essentials, Vital Cat, VE RAW BAR, Nature's Advantage) to 7,000+ U.S. retailers and 14 international markets, and offers private label and co-packing services to other pet brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Carnivore Meat Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Raw Pet Food Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111), Animal Food Manufacturing (31111), Animal Food Manufacturing (3111)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Frozen & Raw Pet Food (incl. freeze-dried) (CRADAFAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Freeze-Dried & Dehydrated Pet Food (AFADAFAD), Raw & Fresh Pet Food (Refrigerated/Frozen) (AFADAFAE), Natural/Organic & Limited-Ingredient Diets (CRADAFAH)
Keywords
Where Carnivore Meat Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Green Bay
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Carnivore Meat Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Branded Product Sales: Sale of proprietary brands Vital Essentials, Vital Cat, VE RAW BAR, and Nature's Advantage through retail stores and online channels
- Private Label Manufacturing: Custom manufacturing of raw pet food and treats for other brands, offering turn-key development from conception to shipping
- Co-Packing Services: Contract manufacturing services for freeze-dried pet food, treats, snacks and meal mix-ins
- Ingredients Supply: Supplying freeze-dried ingredients to customers globally
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels3 records
Carnivore Meat Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Carnivore Meat Company manufactures premium raw frozen and freeze-dried pet food and treats for dogs, cats, and other carnivorous pets from its Green Bay, Wisconsin facility. The company sells proprietary consumer brands (Vital Essentials, Vital Cat, VE RAW BAR, Nature's Advantage) through retail and online channels, and offers private label manufacturing, co-packing, and ingredient supply services to other pet food brands globally.
Product overview
Carnivore Meat Company is a premium pet food manufacturer producing raw frozen and freeze-dried pet food and treats with over 100 product options. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio consisting of flagship brand Vital Essentials (frozen and freeze-dried complete diets and treats for dogs and cats), VE RAW BAR (award-winning bulk freeze-dried snack display), Vital Cat (species-specific cat nutrition), and Nature's Advantage (value-oriented line available at Costco). The company also operates a Private Label division supplying bespoke raw pet food solutions, co-packing, and ingredients to partners globally. All products are manufactured using a proprietary 48-hour slow freeze-drying process in the company's Green Bay, Wisconsin facility—the largest freeze-dried pet food facility in North America. Distribution spans over 7,000 retailers nationwide, 14 international markets, and online channels including Chewy, Amazon, and PetFlow.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Vital Essentials: Flagship brand offering premium freeze-dried and raw frozen pet food and treats for dogs and cats.
- Vital Cat
- VE RAW BAR
- Nature's Advantage
- Vital Essentials FUSION
Quantifiable outcome
- 204% three-year growth rate ranked #14 in Wisconsin
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Carnivore Meat Company
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Carnivore Meat Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Carnivore Meat Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Animal Supply CompanycoreExpanded partnership with national pet food and supplies distributor. Animal Supply Company markets, sells and supports Vital Essentials and Vital Cat from their Bartlett, IL distribution center to more than 7,000 independent retailers operating 15,000 retail outlets throughout the US and Caribbean.
- Wolf Creek ProductionsminorPartnership to feature Vital Essentials brand on Gun Dog TV, a waterfowl and upland game bird series on Outdoor Channel. Includes television placements, brand ambassador programs, and digital marketing efforts.
- Festival FoodsminorWisconsin-based grocery retailer partnership to offer Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Hemp Chews at stores across Wisconsin. Three options available: RELAX, RELIEF, and REVIVE formulations.
- Avafina Pet ProductscoreWestern Canada distributor to market, sell and support Vital Essentials to over 400+ independent pet retailers and pet chain stores. Avafina has been a leading natural pet product distributor in Western Canada for nearly 10 years.
- Burgham Sales Ltd.coreCanadian distributor selected to market, sell and support Vital Essentials and Vital Cat raw pet food, treats and snacks throughout Canada to over 1,200 independent pet retailers and pet chain stores.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Carnivore Meat Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stella & Chewy's: Stella & Chewy's is a US-based premium raw and freeze-dried pet food manufacturer for dogs and cats, selling through independent pet specialty and online. It is the closest direct competitor to Carnivore Meat Company's Vital Essentials in product format (raw frozen and freeze-dried), target channel (independent pet retail) and positioning (premium raw nutrition).
- K9 Natural: K9 Natural is a New Zealand-headquartered freeze-dried and raw pet food brand with US distribution. Comparable to Carnivore Meat Company in freeze-dried and raw product formats, though it competes predominantly via imported product and a more limited US co-packing footprint.
- Primal Pet Foods: Primal Pet Foods manufactures raw frozen and freeze-dried formulas, as well as treats, for dogs and cats, distributed via independent pet retailers and online channels nationwide. Directly comparable to Carnivore Meat Company on product format, channel mix and premium raw positioning.
- Nature's Variety (Instinct): Nature's Variety markets the Instinct raw and freeze-dried line of pet foods and treats. Comparable to Carnivore Meat Company in raw/freeze-dried pet food, but with significantly stronger distribution scale into mass and grocery channels than Carnivore's independent-pet-heavy footprint.
- Northwest Naturals: Northwest Naturals produces raw frozen and freeze-dried pet food and treats under its own brand and offers co-manufacturing / private label services. Comparable to Carnivore Meat Company across both branded raw products and the private label / co-packing business.
- Blue Ridge Beef: Blue Ridge Beef manufactures raw frozen pet food, primarily for dogs, distributed through independent pet retailers. Comparable to Carnivore Meat Company on raw-frozen product format and independent pet specialty channel, although Carnivore's freeze-dried vertical integration is wider.
Emerging players
- Open Farm: Open Farm is a premium pet food brand emphasising responsibly sourced proteins, with raw, freeze-dried and gently cooked lines. Overlaps with Carnivore Meat Company on premium positioning and freeze-dried offerings, but a more limited raw-frozen assortment and broader mass-channel distribution.
- Smallbatch Pets: Smallbatch Pets produces small-batch raw frozen and freeze-dried pet food using limited-ingredient proteins. Comparable to Carnivore Meat Company's Vital Essentials in specialty raw/freeze-dried positioning, though with a smaller manufacturing footprint and narrower geographic distribution.
- Spot & Tango (now Milk & Honey / Holistic Pet): Spot & Tango is a DTC premium fresh and freeze-dried pet food company. Comparable to Carnivore Meat Company on premium positioning and freeze-dried offerings, with differentiated DTC/e-commerce distribution versus Carnivore's wholesale-led model.
Broad incumbents
- Champion Petfoods (Orijen / Acana): Champion Petfoods owns Orijen and Acana premium pet food brands, including freeze-dried and high-meat formulations. Overlaps Carnivore Meat Company at the premium and freeze-dried tier, but competes with a much larger global manufacturing footprint and broader product set.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Carnivore Meat Company social profiles
Digital presenceCarnivore Meat Company compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Carnivore Meat Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Carnivore Meat Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Carnivore Meat Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Carnivore Meat Company M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Carnivore Meat Company
What does Carnivore Meat Company do?
Carnivore Meat Company manufactures premium raw frozen and freeze-dried pet food and treats for dogs, cats, and other carnivorous pets from its Green Bay, Wisconsin facility. The company sells proprietary consumer brands (Vital Essentials, Vital Cat, VE RAW BAR, Nature's Advantage) through retail and online channels, and offers private label manufacturing, co-packing, and ingredient supply services to other pet food brands globally.
Is Carnivore Meat Company a public or private company?
Carnivore Meat Company is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Carnivore Meat Company founded?
Carnivore Meat Company was founded in 1968. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Carnivore Meat Company based?
Carnivore Meat Company is headquartered in Green Bay, United States, in the North America region.
How does Carnivore Meat Company make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Branded Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are private Label Manufacturing, co-Packing Services and ingredients Supply.
Who are Carnivore Meat Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stella & Chewy's, K9 Natural, Primal Pet Foods, Nature's Variety (Instinct), Northwest Naturals and Blue Ridge Beef. Emerging players are Open Farm, Smallbatch Pets and Spot & Tango (now Milk & Honey / Holistic Pet). Champion Petfoods (Orijen / Acana) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Carnivore Meat Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for Carnivore Meat Company.
What industry is Carnivore Meat Company in?
Carnivore Meat Company's product category is Raw Pet Food Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAFAD, Frozen & Raw Pet Food (incl. freeze-dried), with a secondary code of AFADAFAD, Freeze-Dried & Dehydrated Pet Food. Its NAICS code is 311111 and its SIC code is 2000.