October 28, 2020

Grain’s 2020 Notable Entrepreneurs

Family-owned in Chicagoland and proudly Made in the US businesses, Evanger’s Dog and Cat Food Company and Against the Grain Pet Food, announced today that its very own twin sibling duo Chelsea and Brett Sher have been named to prestigious list of Crain’s Chicago Business’ 2020 Notable Entrepreneurs.

In addition to holding Vice President titles at Markham, IL-based Evanger’s Dog and Cat Food Company, Chelsea and Brett co-founded Against the Grain Pet Food in 2015, a pet food manufacturing company that prides themselves on quality sourcing of ingredients and the smartest choice for healthy, happy pets. All dog food lines within these companies are Made in the US, use locally-sourced and minimally processed limited ingredients and using state of the art manufacturing methods designed to ensure the integrity of the proteins, vitamins and natural enzymes that offer optimal pet nutrition.

Crain’s 2020 Notable Entrepreneurs, feature 39 entrepreneurs representing a range of young companies, some supplying consumer products, others offering B2B services and others fulfilling community needs as nonprofits. In this feature, you’ll meet entrepreneurs with products ranging from pet food to veggie snacks to men’s jeans and how they’re helping to put Chicago on the map as a growing center for entrepreneurship.

To qualify for Crain’s list, the entrepreneur must have demonstrated revenue growth or capital-raising over three to five years. The businesses must have revenue between $500,000 and $10 million or have raised capital in this range. 2020 being an ultimate challenge, during the pandemic, these firms have pivoted, putting their offerings online, helping clients navigate the crisis or donating goods and services.

“It’s an honor to be included in this highly respected list of Chicago’s movers and shakers and recognized amongst this list of incredible business entrepreneurs,” said Chelsea Sher. “This award for Brett and me represents all the hard work we put into Evanger’s and Against the Grain. Our parents, whose unwavering devotion helped take Evanger’s into a globally recognized brand; they have instilled this same devotion in ourselves and had a huge influence on our entrepreneurial achievements.”

Brett Sher adds, “Our parents (Holly and Joel Sher) truly are our mentors, our inspiration and the biggest supporters of our brand, despite being our formidable competitors. Making foods that not only help pets thrive but also help pet-parents enjoy the mealtime experience is what motivates us to continue innovating in our industry. Providing exceptional quality pet foods to independent pet retailers in the U.S. and beyond and a commitment to constant innovation has been the key to our success.”

Additional Resources

For more information on Evanger’s and their 85 years of pet food innovation, high-quality manufacturing or the Sher family, please visit www.evangerspetfood.com. For more information on Against the Grain, please visit www.againstthegrainpetfood.com.

Subscribe to Pet Insight