Comments Off on Pet Products Made in USA!
31 Jan 14

Pet Products Made in USA! ...

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com & Long Island Pet Professionals

Savvy pet consumers are looking more at labels when they shop for pet products and to many it is important that the pet prodcut they are buying is made here in America.   Select pet retailers are starting to put Made in the USA sections in their stores, and even some small pet retail stores go as far as having 70 to 80% of their products being made in the USA.  But unfortunately that is not the norm for all pet retailers.  “I can’t tell you how many times I pick up a cute pet item for my dog and when I read the label and it’s not made here, I put it down,” said, Linda Williams a consumer who owns 3 dogs and has no kids. “It is very important to me that I can support our local economy by purchasing products for our dogs that are made here – while they seem to somewhat more available – it’s not always the case.”

With that in mind, Long Island Pet Professionals, (LIPP) and Whitegate PR put together the first ever exlusive event for Made in the USA pet products at their upcoming ‘NYC Re-Tails & Sales Expo’ on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 from 11am – 5pm at Honda of Manhattan (627 11th Ave, at 47th Street, New York, NY 10036).  This one day pawtriotic event will have vendors at the event featuring their ‘Made in America,’ (locally made and sourced), pet products on display and for sale.  NYC and tri-state area retailers will be in attendance, for this exclusive event, to meet and learn about Made in the USA pet products and bring those products into their store for their costumers.  The event is for retailers, not the general public, to learn about the products, connect with the manufacturers and utimately form a lasting relationship to continue to support locally made and sourced pet products.

“As more and more pet retailers look for that ‘Made in America’ seal, we are very happy to be bringing this first ever boutique pet expo, showcasing American crafted and sourced pet products!” stated Nancy E. Hassel, founder and President of Long Island Pet Professionals. “This is something that hasn’t been done before and I am delighted to partner with pet industry expert Dana Humphrey of Whitegate PR to bring this event to NYC and have pet retailers and pet product makers meet face to face!”

“The amount of money people spend on their pets is expected to pass $60 billion,” Craig Rexford, vice president and publisher of Pet Age magazine, said. “The industry continues to grow, creating new business opportunities for both manufacturers and retailers. This event is a great opportunity for manufacturers with unique products to connect directly with retailers.”

Each retailer will have a scheduled appointment with each pet vendor on site. At this exclusive event transportation will be provided within NYC to invited retailers. Pet celebrities and influencers will be in attendance and VIP tickets will be given to retailers for a surprise event following the expo!  This is the perfect opportunity for pet retailers to meet the makers of fabulous American-made pet products.

“We are thrilled to have Pet Age Magazine as our Media Sponsor and Made in the USA, Certified sponsoring this event.  The buzz about the event has been tremendous and we are already talking about hosting the event yearly,” said Dana Humphrey, Owner of WhitegatePR.

Brought to you by Long Island Pet Professionals and Whitegate PR. NYC retailers and members of the media, to request an exclusive invite call Nancy Hassel at (631) 446-1105 or Dana Humphrey at (619) 414-9307. To become a vendor at this B2B pet expo – email Nancy@longislandpetprofessionals.com or Dana@whitegatepr.com to find out how. Limited vendor space left! Sponsorship opportunities available. (At press time of 1/31/14 there is only 1 vendor space left for this exclusive event!)

To learn more about the event, see the vendors who will be there or to register as a retailer or press to attend click here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/nyc-re-tails-sales-expo-tickets-9438333309