Brett Simmons
(PRESS RELEASE) GREEN BAY, WI – The nation’s leading manufacturer of frozen and freeze-dried pet food and treats announces the appointment of Brett Simmons as Carnivore Meat Company’s new director of operations. Prior to his promotion, Simmons was a Plant Manager at the company, a role he has held since 2011.
Simmons began his career with Carnivore Meat Company at age nineteen as a laborer on the production floor. Over the years he performed a variety of operational roles before becoming a Production Supervisor and then Plant Manager.
Simmons is now starting his sixteenth year with the company. During his tenure, he has helped the company’s annual revenue increase from one million to more than sixty million. He has been a key component of the company’s incredible growth.
“Brett was instrumental in the design and construction of our custom freeze-dryers, and has been involved in all of our projects,” says Brian Lakari, VP of Operations. “It’s impossible to overstate the impact Brett has had on making this company what it is today.”
Throughout the years Simmons has been integral to several plant start-ups and company expansions, as well as overseeing the procurement of equipment and raw materials.
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Simmons’ many successes have exemplified him not only within the company but within the pet food industry at large. In 2017, he was a winner of Pet Age’s Forty Under 40 Icon Awards for “devotion to the success of the pet industry and a commitment to professional excellence.”
Simmons’ appointment as Director of Operations comes on the heels of several major announcements for Carnivore Meat Company, one of the fastest-growing private businesses in the country.
In December 2021 the company announced a major partnership with Arbor Investments, followed by their purchase of an additional building and two major expansions to their freeze-drying operation — expected to more than double the company’s production capacity before the end of the year.
Simmons has expressed that he is looking forward to the challenges and opportunities of his new role overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company.
“I enjoy the people and the relationships that have been built over the years,” says Simmons. “We’ve built a culture and a team that is by far the most unique group of hardworking people I have been around…We are truly like a family here.”
About Carnivore Meat Company
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Carnivore Meat Company is an award-winning manufacturer of premium raw frozen and freeze-dried pet food and treats. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the company’s rapidly growing brands include Nature’s Advantage, Vital Essentials, VE RAW BAR and Vital Cat, which are distributed to over 6,000 retailers nationwide, in 14 international markets and online to Chewy.com, Amazon, PetFlow.com and others. Long considered a raw pet food pioneer, the company’s freeze-dried products division supplies private label, co-packing and ingredients to customers globally. Carnivore Meat Company has been recognized for its growth accomplishments and manufacturing excellence with a number of awards in recent years, including Greater Green Bay Chamber Growth Award, Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Award, Governor’s Export Achievement Award, Greater Green Bay Chamber Manufacturing Award of Distinction and Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies. www.carnivoremeat.com
About Arbor Investments
Founded in 1999 with offices in Chicago and New York, Arbor Investments is a specialized private equity firm focused exclusively on acquiring premier companies in food, beverage and related industries. Since inception, the firm has acquired or invested in over 80 companies in North America. www.arborpic.com
