Vanguard Awards: Live Foods

Innovation, operational efficiency, and a growing emphasis on quality are reshaping how leaders in the category are meeting the evolving needs of reptile owners.

The state of the reptile merchandising category is shifting towards pet owners placing more emphasis on incomparable product quality and less focus on sticker price. “I feel like there is a shift happening that people are looking more for quality and less at price,” Brandon Armstrong with Armstrong’s Cricket Farm shared in late last year. “I hear all the time how people are not happy with (insert big box store) and we only go to our local store. Your local owned store is going to have better knowledge, and they are going to have better product when it comes to your animal’s needs. If you have certain needs and Armstrong’s Cricket Farm is serving them we can help to accommodate your needs.”

“Service, quality, and dependability are the major factors that set Armstrong’s Cricket Farm apart from all the others,” Armstrong said. “Our ability to adapt to a customer’s specific needs, and knowing that if something is wrong, we are going to make it right.”

Pet owners have faith in Fluker Farms because the company not only provides options endorsed by trusted veterinarians but also indispensable products that support pet owners in responsibly and properly caring for their pets. “Pet owners trust us because we focus on vet-backed products that support real, day-to-day animal care,” stated Vance Noland, Director of Business Development. “They get especially excited about the parts of our assortment that are essential, especially live foods and core reptile care products. A lot of keepers want reliability with convenience. They want healthy feeders, dependable products, and solutions that make caring for their animals easier. That is where we have built a lot of trust over the years.”

“Pet owners, the actual consumers, they know that we support our industry,” said Todd Goodman of Timberline Live Pet Foods. “We support USARK, we support the groups that watch out for us and our interests in the pet industry. I think that they like the fact that we do have, we have Vita Bugs which are different. Vita Bugs it’s a more of a souped up nutritional version of the variety of insects that we sell. People like that. I think people just they’re excited about the fact that we have variety because again you get a lot of suppliers do one thing or they do one or two things, but we do a lot of them and we produce them all here. They know the quality and everything is going to be right.”

Fluker Farms sets itself apart through a balance of endurance, practice and flexibility. 

“What makes Fluker Farms stand out is a combination of longevity, hands-on experience, and a willingness to keep evolving,” Noland replied. “This year marks our 70th anniversary, and we are now in our third generation of leadership. That history gives us a real understanding of the animals, the customers, and the retailers we serve. At the same time, as the next generation, we are always looking for ways to improve our products, production, and service. I think our leadership stands out because we stay grounded in what works while continuing to move the category forward.”

In the early 90s Timberline transitioned from being a distributor to being a producer. “At the time, our approach to the market was more ‘OK, you’ve been dealing with people for a long time, how do you want the product? How do you want to receive it? How do you want it packaged?’ Our entrance into the market was one of ‘What would you like?’ It was very customer focused,” Goodman explained. “I like to identify people that do the job very well and then get out of their way. Obviously, if you have people who are keenly aware of our industry, then they will be looking toward innovation. I would say my leadership style has always been: if the customer wants it, and I can do it, then I need to do it in a way that the customer is pleased in a way that they won’t try to find another supplier. I find that if we’re customer focused, this applies to our employees here too, if we’re focused on them, then they can be focused on the real customer: the consumer. It’s important if you get everybody in your organization to understand that change is going to happen and we have to evolve just like our customers evolve.”

Properly caring for reptile pets requires a great deal of education and collaboration with knowledgeable retailers. “We support retailers through strong product education, practical merchandising help, and clear messaging around how our products are used and why they matter,” Noland explained.