FAIRFIELD, CALIF. — On Oct. 17, Primal Pet Group announced that Matt Pirz has been appointed to president of Primal Pet Foods. In the newly created role, Pirz will direct and take ownership of all Primal Pet Foods’ commercial activities.

Pirz currently serves on the board at Primal Pet Group. He previously worked at Primal Pet Foods for 10 years, serving as national director of sales and vice president of sales. During his career at Primal, Pirz lead the sales team and aided in the brand’s growth.

“About a decade ago, Matt Pirz had the vision and foresight to partner with neighborhood pet stores to turn the freezer into a competitive advantage — and that strategy continues to prove successful for our partners and our brand,” said Tim Simonds, chief executive officer of Primal Pet Group. “With his strong relationships and track record of success, I’m confident Matt will continue to find ways to strengthen our business and grow together with all our key partners.”

In his new role at Primal Pet Foods, Pirz will collaborate with distributors and customers to support the brand’s growth within the neighborhood pet channel.

“Thanks to the help and support of neighborhood pet, we were able to build a market for a new category of pet food — raw and gently prepared — over the last decade,” Pirz said. “I am eager to build on this success and continue to accelerate growth within this influential channel.”

Primal Pet Foods was acquired by investment firm Kinderhook Industries in 2021 and later became part of Primal Pet Group. During the past year, the company has focused on expanding its production capacity and scaling its pet food business.

“From an operational standpoint, this business is poised to meet the growing demand for raw and gently prepared food and treats for pets,” said Tom Tuttle, managing director at Kinderhook. “With Matt Pirz stepping into this new role, I’m confident we can bring the focus and attention back to the key partners that have been responsible for building and growing the Primal Pet Foods brand.”

Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.