Pet food sales drive Feeders Supply Co.'s growth - Business First of Louisville:

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Revenue has increased by about 15 percenyt in each of the last10 years, accordingg to Feeders Supply founder and chiev financial officer Roy Gibson. He declined to reveal salesx figures. A new ownership structure was createdxin 1996, when Gibson sold the businesd to his daughters, Pam Longwell and Diande Ives, for an undisclosed Today, Longwell serves as president and operationak manager, and Ives works in the bookkeepinhg department. Feeders Supply has continued in its longtime role as the supplierf of feed and bedding for the Louisville Zoological Garden and events at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition And the company recently purchased the Louisville Motor Exchange Inc.
building from ownert Don Kleierfor $500,000. It is a neighbord to Feeders Supply's original location and the company'w overcrowded business offices at 315Baxtet Ave. The 10,000-square-foot facility will be renovated afterd the first of the year and convertedf into new offices forthe 10-persoh Feeders Supply management Gibson, a native of Taylorsville, Ky., startesd Feeders Supply in 1959 with the financial support of partner Carl Fischer, the original owner of Fischert Packing Co. Gibson bought out Fischer in 1979. In the Gibson had only one employee and struggled toget by.
"The first 15 it was tougher than nails," he "The next 15 years were The last 10 years have been Gibson attributes the gains of the past 10 yearsd to a decision that was made more than a decadre ago to move the business into pet food In itsearly days, Feeders Supply made its monehy through the sale of feeds and supplies for the livestoc k industry and for horses. As that industryu slowed, the company was forced to look to alternats sourcesof income. "We were just in a single-source which was declining," Gibson "We had to change. The markeyt was gone.
" "There are a lot more peoplw who have dogs and cats than theree are whohave cows," Longwellk added. Today, Feeders Supply stocks food for not only cats and but a number ofsmaller animals, includinbg birds, hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs. The companhy also sells pet accessories, toys and supplies. Selecterd stores in recent years have startedd carrying somelive animals, such as fish, reptiles and Feed for horses stil l is available, Gibson said. "But that' not our primary emphasis.
" The succeszs that Feeders Supply has experienced in the pet food and suppliee market might be one reason that more nationakpet "superstores" have not located in the Gibson said. Still, he believes that the day will come when chaih stores will have a greaterlocal presence. "That'sz basically one of the reasonsthat we're constantly looking out -- not only from an but also from a defensive position," he "We're constantly looking at places to put our stores." Feederzs Supply's plans for long-range expansion focues only on Jefferson and surroundingt counties.
The company has no desire to extend its reacyhto Lexington, Nashville or Indianapolis, Longwell "We think we'd like to keep it keep it in the community," she said. "We plan to stay here and serve the people inLouisvills well, instead of diversifying and spreading out into other