Portland, Oregon
Dr. McGrath’s is based in Portland, Oregon. Our brand patron saint is Dr. Elinor McGrath – the very first female veterinarian in the USA. Our products are for dogs, horses and cats.
We make clean, natural shampoos and ear wipes that harness the power of good old natural Apple Cider Vinegar – one of nature’s best antifungal and antimicrobials. Our products do not contain sulfates, phosphates or dyes and are Made in the USA.
The business officially launched in 2015 and we’ve sold through our first run of product. The orders are piling up and as typical with start ups – we’re loaded up with passion for what we’re doing but not with cash.
Orders need to ship before the end of July and the factory confirms this can be achieved.
Here’s what we’d like the Kickfurther community to know about the company:
It took years to develop the products and the brand – partly because the company has been self funded, partly because the founder had to learn about an area of law called Right of Publicity and partly because our standards for product design and quality are high. So it’s been a long development time but we’re quite proud of both the products and the brand and we think its a solid foundation on which to build a powerhouse animal wellness business.
We sell primarily to the trade – specialty pet retail and we have 51 accounts with approximately 65 locations but that number is increasing every week and our reorder rate is also increasing. We recently started selling to Healthy Spot in Southern California (9 locations). It’s a big deal to get this account and they’re preparing a social media campaign specifically to promote Dr. McGrath’s. We sell our products a little bit via our own website and for convenience and efficiency we also sell through Amazon. We added commission only sales reps this year and they are doing a nice job of adding additional retail partners. We’re in discussion with some distributors to add momentum.
Additional stuff:
What’s the first thing you do when you start a business? You give money away! ok that’s a joke – but seriously the first thing we did upon securing the brand was establish a scholarship in Elinor McGrath’s name with the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. The scholarship is awarded annually to a student in animal sciences who has had to overcome obstacles to pursue their education. Last month, June 2016, we awarded our 4th scholarship to Anna-Marie Struble who is a student at Michigan State University.
Our warehouse and fulfillment operations are done by Garten Mail Services in Salem, Oregon. Garten employs developmentally disabled adults and provides them with job and life skills training. They are excellent supply chain partners and we wholeheartedly support their mission.
We had the honor last year of having Dr. McGrath’s promoted through the Shinola stores across the US and in London. Dr. McGrath’s was also sold in the Ralph Lauren Polo flagshipstore in NY and the Colette department store in Paris.
I always say: “if I were smart I would have been a veterinarian but I got the smartass gene instead.”
I have what you would call an ‘interesting’ background. Well educated, and traveled with 3 businesses behind me. I tried the corporate world and while it didn’t last – it was valuable to learn how a Fortune 500 business operates. My last business got to almost $4m per year in sales when the recession ate it. I learned a great deal but to be honest that really hurt.
Team partners and advisors include a retired P&G executive, a former Wells Fargo investment banker, an investment banker who specializes in the pet products vertical, some very enthusiastic sales reps and an a crazy talented creative director.
Ready to push Dr. McGrath’s forward.
WHAT MAKES DR. MCGRATH’S PRODUCTS UNIQUE?
Our products are formulated with Apple Cider Vinegar which is Mother Nature’s way of combating yeast, bacteria and fungus. We use other high quality ingredients such as plant based cleansers and organic herbal extracts from four plant sources; Cucumber, Lavender, Cornflower and Peach.
Our products do not contain sulphates, parabens, phthalates, or dyes, as these ingredients can having a drying effect on skin and coat and are not beneficial to the environment. Consumers are used to shampoos with thickener added. We left out the thickener because we like sensible simplicity.
The spray bottle is an added convenience when you are wrangling your slippery critter, or washing a larger animal.
The concentrated versions work for folks who prefer the bucket method (dilute 2:1) and they have the additional benefit of a lower cost per use.
Our shampoos rinse well and thoroughly and our scents are light and fresh.
Product | Consumer Price | Percent of Co-Op |
---|---|---|
Dr. McGrath’s CONCENTRATED Conditioning Animal Shampoo – Unscented | $17.99 | 19% |
Dr. McGrath’s CONCENTRATED Conditioning Animal Shampoo – Field Greens | $17.99 | 19% |
Dr. McGrath’s CONCENTRATED Conditioning Animal Shampoo – Apple Carrot | $17.99 | 19% |
Dr. McGrath’s Conditioning Animal Shampoo – Unscented | $14.99 | 14% |
Dr. McGrath’s Conditioning Animal Shampoo – Field Greens | $14.99 | 14% |
Dr. McGrath’s Conditioning Animal Shampoo – Apple Carrot | $14.99 | 14% |