Rockford's Phelps Pet Products gets national spotlight for tasty treats

The additional value in Phelps Pet Products tasty treats is organic, real meat.

This week the Rockford company is featured on a national magazine, Pet Food Processing. The magazine is available to the public on June 1.

"The exposure in the national magazine was great,” says says Phelps Pet Products CEO and President Rick Ruffolo. “It's just another way for us to highlight what we do, and maybe help some more companies."

Phelps purchases frozen meat and starts the process from there.

"Anybody can make a dog treat,” says Ruffolo. “What we try to do is have those dog treats and add an additional value.”

The meat is ground, shaped and baked before it goes through a series of tests to ensure a quality product. One of those tests involves measuring water in the food. If there is too much the food is disposed of, as it could cause mold.

Part of the fun involves picking recipes for the treats.

“We’ll do different tests,” says Phelps manufacturing engineer Bryant Williams. “Which one will [the dogs] go to, do they like beef or chicken better, bacon or turkey?”

The company was noticed at a global pet food convention earlier this year.

Ruffolo attributes the company’s success and feature on a national magazine not only to rebranding, but also to an exceptional work-team and a quality product.

"We are very pleased with the workforce in the Rockford-area," says Ruffolo. "The teams here are dedicated, committed to the area, committed to a great product."

Phelps Pet Products is located at 5213 26th Ave.