Midwestern Pet Foods

What Midwestern Pet Foods does

Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned U.S. pet food and treats manufacturer founded in 1926 (originally as Nunn Milling Company, transitioning to pet food in 1982) and headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. The company designs, produces, and distributes dry and wet food, biscuits, and treats for dogs and cats across a portfolio of seven sub-brands—Earthborn Holistic (premium holistic), Ultimates (advanced nutrition), Wholesomes (farmland-ingredient), SPORTMiX (targeted/active), CanineX (performance), Sportstrail (value), and Unrefined (heart-healthy ancient grains). It operates four company-owned manufacturing kitchens in Evansville, IN; Chickasha, OK; Monmouth, IL; and Waverly, IA. The company serves U.S. pet owners across premium, mainstream, and value price tiers, with formulations spanning grain-free, ancient grains, limited-ingredient, sensitive stomach/skin, high-energy, and performance recipes meeting AAFCO complete-and-balanced standards.\n\nThe product portfolio is structured around differentiated brand-level recipe positioning: Earthborn Holistic emphasizes probiotics, superfoods, and ancient grains; Unrefined uses ancient grains (quinoa, buckwheat, chia) and sustainably sourced proteins packaged in PlantBag; Wholesomes highlights 'farmland' proteins and operates an expanding sensitive skin/stomach platform (most recently including a small breed formula and treat extensions); Ultimates offers antioxidant-rich and Omega-3/Omega-6 balanced recipes; SPORTMiX and CanineX target working and active dogs with high-protein formulas; Sportstrail delivers affordable complete nutrition. Treats are a meaningful adjacent category, including Ultimates Jerky, Wholesomes Jerky, Earthborn EarthBites Crunchy and Chewy, and the new Wholesomes Rewards lines. Manufacturing operates under owned-kitchen quality control with no disclosed patents or proprietary technology beyond formulation IP and packaging innovation (e.g., How2Recycle-compliant recyclable pouches via the Earthborn ReBorn/TerraCycle partnership).\n\nMidwestern Pet Foods monetizes primarily through one-time wholesale and DTC unit sales of packaged pet food and treats under multiple price-tiered brands. Its go-to-market is channel-partner-led: products flow through independent pet specialty stores, key wholesale distributors (Phillips Pet Food & Supplies and Southeast Pet Distributors), large retail chains (Pet Supplies Plus, Pet Supermarket), and brand-specific websites with retailer locators. Sales and account engagement rely heavily on trade show participation—Global Pet Expo and SuperZoo are used for product launches, retailer promotions, and $500 cash giveaways. Cause-marketing is embedded in the revenue model: a portion of sales from Sportmix, CanineX, Ultimates, and Wholesomes products funds Children of Fallen Patriots college scholarships. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by product line and retailer.

Name

Midwestern Pet Foods

Legal name

Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc.

Website

https://midwesternpetfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Midwestern Pet Foods is a fourth-generation, family-owned U.S. pet food and treat manufacturer serving pet owners across premium to value price tiers via seven sub-brands, four owned manufacturing kitchens, and national distribution through pet specialty, mass, and wholesale partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Dry Pet Food (Kibble) (AFADAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural/Organic & Limited-Ingredient Diets (CRADAFAH), Functional & Veterinary Diet Pet Food (CRADAFAF), Wet/Canned & Pouch Food (Dog & Cat) (CRADAFAB), Fresh & Refrigerated Pet Food (CRADAFAC)

Keywords

• Pet food manufacturing
• Dry dog food
• Dry cat food
• Pet nutrition
• Pet treats

Headquarters

HQ city

Evansville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Pet Food and Treat Products: Midwestern Pet Foods manufactures and sells dry pet food, wet food, biscuits, and treats through multiple brand portfolios (Earthborn Holistic, Ultimates, Wholesomes, Sportmix, CanineX, Sportstrail). Products are sold through pet specialty retailers, mass market stores, and online channels via distributors.
2. Children of Fallen Patriots Partnership: A portion of sales from Sportmix, CanineX, Ultimates & Wholesomes products goes directly to providing college scholarships for military children who lost a parent in the line of duty.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Midwestern Pet Foods manufactures and sells dry dog food, cat food, biscuits, and treats under a portfolio of six sub-brands (Earthborn Holistic, Ultimates, Wholesomes, SPORTMiX, CanineX, Sportstrail) plus the Unrefined heart-healthy line. Products are produced in four company-owned U.S. kitchens and distributed through pet specialty retailers, mass-market stores, and online retailers via wholesale distributors including Phillips Pet Food & Supplies and Southeast Pet Distributors.

Product overview

Midwestern Pet Foods is a family-owned pet food and treats manufacturer offering a portfolio of brands across different market segments. The core product portfolio includes six sub-brands: Earthborn Holistic (premium holistic/natural), Ultimates (advanced nutrition), Wholesomes (farmland ingredients), SPORTMiX (high energy/active dogs), CanineX (performance nutrition), and Sportstrail (affordable quality). Brands offer dry food, wet food, and treats for dogs and cats. The company operates four company-owned kitchens in the USA, producing products under the Earthborn Holistic, Ultimates, Wholesomes, SPORTMiX, CanineX, and Sportstrail names.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Earthborn Holistic: Holistic pet food brand offering grain-free classics, ancient grains & superfoods, and limited ingredient recipes for dogs and cats. Features probiotics and superfoods for digestion and gut health.
• Ultimates
• Wholesomes
• SPORTMiX
• CanineX
• Sportstrail
• Unrefined

Products and services

• Earthborn Holistic Premium holistic pet food brand offering grain-free classics, ancient grains and superfoods, and limited ingredient recipes for dogs and cats, with probiotics, pumpkin, and superfood ingredients for digestion and gut health. Also includes wet food and treats.
• Ultimates

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 237,843 pet food meals donated to animal shelters nationwide since 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Pilots To The RescueminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2023Non-profit volunteer-driven aviation organization that transports domestic and endangered animals. Earthborn Holistic donated dog food and treats to support their animal rescue missions.
• Children of Fallen Patriots FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 June 2021A portion of all sales from Sportmix, CanineX, Ultimates & Wholesomes products goes directly to providing college scholarships and educational counseling for children of military servicemembers who lost a parent in the line of duty.
• Trees for the FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Earthborn Holistic UPCs for Trees program. Customers return UPCs from Earthborn Holistic products and trees are planted in deforested areas worldwide. Since 2009, over 1.38 million trees have been planted, helping put over 3,900 people on the pathway out of hunger and poverty.
• TerraCyclecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarthborn ReBorn Recycling Program makes pet food and treat bags 100% recyclable. Consumers drop off empty bags at participating retailers for recycling and upcycling at company expense. Over 2.1 million bags recycled, diverting 201,836+ lbs from landfills.
• Phillips Pet Food & SuppliesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey distribution partner for Midwestern Pet Foods products. Cooperated on Texas flood relief donations, delivering over 12,000 pet food meals to area charities.
• Southeast Pet DistributorsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey distribution partner for Hurricane Helene relief efforts in the Southeast. Donated 24,000 pet food meals to charities following devastating flooding.
• Pet Supplies PlusmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partner for hurricane relief efforts. Donated over 3,400 meals for Hurricane Milton relief in partnership with Midwestern Pet Foods.
• IndiePetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMidwestern Pet Foods renewed Associate Industry Member status with IndiePet, which empowers independent and neighborhood pet retailers. Product training available on the IndiePet website.
• Pet SupermarketminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner for in-store promotional campaign. 4,300 trees planted in recognition of their promotional efforts for Earthborn Holistic products.
• ADS (Advanced Drainage System)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with ADS to donate over 9,200 meals for Hurricane Helene relief efforts.
• Wounded Warrior ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational charity supported through MPF Cares initiative supporting veterans.
• Riley Hospital for ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's hospital charity supported through MPF Cares initiative.
• St. Jude Children's Research HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable organization supported through MPF Cares initiative.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mars Petcare US: Pet food division of Mars operating Pedigree, Royal Canin, and acquired Champion Petfoods. Competes with Midwestern across value (Pedigree-adjacent price tiers), premium (Royal Canin), and super-premium (Acana/Orijen) segments.
• Nestlé Purina PetCare: Largest US pet food manufacturer with brands spanning value (Dog Chow) to super-premium (Pro Plan, Beyond). Comparable broad portfolio overlapping Midwestern's price tiers and providing the dominant competitive benchmark in mass and specialty channels.
• Blue Buffalo: Premium natural pet food leader (Blue Life Protection, Wilderness, Basics) owned by General Mills. The defining premium-natural competitor in the same US specialty and mass channels where Midwestern's Earthborn Holistic, Ultimates, and Wholesomes compete.

Direct peers

• Diamond Pet Foods: Family-owned US pet food manufacturer producing dry kibble across multiple value and premium brands (Diamond, Taste of the Wild, Kirkland co-manufacturing). Highly comparable to Midwestern in multi-brand strategy, family ownership, dry-kibble focus, and mass/specialty distribution model.
• Fromm Family Foods: Fourth-generation family-owned premium pet food manufacturer based in Wisconsin, producing dry food, wet food, and treats for dogs and cats. Closely comparable to Midwestern in heritage, multi-generational family ownership, premium positioning, and US specialty distribution.
• Champion Petfoods: Manufacturer of Orijen and Acana premium pet foods, owned by Mars Petcare. Comparable to Midwestern's Earthborn Holistic and Unrefined lines in biologically-appropriate, premium-ingredient positioning and specialty retail distribution.
• Victor Pet Food: Texas-based family-style pet food manufacturer focused on performance and working-dog nutrition with multi-protein, multi-formula lineup. Closely comparable to Midwestern's CanineX and SPORTMiX brands in active/working-dog positioning and specialty distribution.
• Wellness Pet Company: Premium natural pet food brand (Wellness Core, Wellness Complete) for dogs and cats, owned by Clearlake Capital. Comparable to Midwestern's Earthborn Holistic and Ultimates brands in natural/holistic positioning, functional recipes, and specialty-channel distribution.
• Nature's Variety: Premium pet food brand known for raw, freeze-dried, and kibble products (Instinct line). Comparable to Midwestern's natural/holistic positioning and limited-ingredient recipes, competing in the same premium-independent retail channels.

Emerging players

• Stella & Chewy's: Premium raw and freeze-dried pet food brand owned by Canidae. Comparable to Midwestern's natural/limited-ingredient Earthborn Holistic and Unrefined positioning, with overlapping specialty retail buyers despite a different primary format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/midwestern-pet-foods

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Midwestern Pet Foods