MARYSVILLE, WA — The owners of Paws Gourmet Inc., Lilyan and John Holmes, have announced their retirement plans and have sold all business assets to a new Washington company.
The bakery is moving to Silverdale, WA, under the Paws Gourmet Bakery label, and operations are expected to resume in March. The owners of the new company are Traci Woody-Carmen and Tim Hall.
Hall has extensive experience in the pet industry and owns a pet health food store that was a client of Paws Gourmet for over 10 years, according to a press release.
“The new owners have promised to build on the same tradition of creating superior human-grade treats and providing the same outstanding customer service the previous company was known for,” the release stated.
Paws Gourmet baked artisan dog treats and was founded as a home-based business in 2003. It quickly outgrew its initial operation and moved to a 4,000-square-foot warehouse in 2007. Paws Gourmet is known for its wheat-free training treats and wide selection of decorated bakery case treats that are free of corn, wheat, soy and genetically modified ingredients.
Paws Gourmet Bakery will provide stores with point-of-sale tools to help them educate consumers about the benefits of “healthy, nutritious treats that are also fun, whimsical and hand baked in the U.S.,” according to the release. The company will wholesale products only to the independent pet supply channel, with retail sales available on the company website to consumers unable to purchase their treats locally.
The company plans to launch new treat recipes and designs as well as programs to help independent pet retailers stay unique and be successful.