ARLINGTON, WASH. — Primal Pet Group has announced the appointment of Nate Kredich to president of Himalayan Pet Supply. Kredich joins the company from his previous role as chief operating officer at The Honest Kitchen, where he helped amplify the pet food company’s omnichannel growth.

Kredich has more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing, product innovation, sales, logistics, and business development spanning various industries including pet care, construction, retail and technology.

“We selected Nate for this critical leadership role because he has a strong track record for helping businesses, including some in the pet category, grow and scale through continuous improvement,” said Jon Balousek, chief executive officer of Primal Pet Group. “His diverse experience, collaborative approach, and optimistic leadership style will set him up for success with our Himalayan and EcoKind team.”

Nate Kredich, pictured with his dogs — Woody and Mojo — was recently named president of Himalayan Pet Supply. 

| Source: Himalayan Pet Supply

In his new role, Kredich will be responsible for leading the overarching vision and strategy for the company’s Himalayan and EcoKind businesses. Kredich will partner with Suman Shrestha, founder of Himalayan Pet Supply, and Devin Weisleder, founder of EcoKind, to drive growth for each brand.

Combined, Himalayan Pet Supply and EcoKind make up the majority of cheese-chew dog treat sales in the United States with approximately 60% market share, according to Primal Pet Group.

“Suman and Devin are pioneers in this industry and I’m humbled to be joining them to continue to grow and scale the Himalayan and EcoKind businesses,” Kredich said. “With a dedicated and differentiated supply chain as well as advanced inhouse production capabilities, I’m confident we have the right foundation to support the next phase of sustainable growth.”

Following the appointment of Kredich, Shrestha will continue to work on product development and operations for the Himalayan, Yellow Yak, Chewmeter and EcoKind brands, while Weisleder will manage Primal Pet Group’s e-commerce strategy.

Himalayan Pet Supply was acquired by Kinderhook Industries in 2021 through Prairie Dog Pet Products. The private investment firm went on to acquire Primal Pet Foods later the same year. As part of the acquisition of Primal Pet Foods, Kinderhook merged its pet industry subsidiaries — including Primal, Prairie Dog, Himalayan, and Holistic Hound — under a new name: Primal Pet Group. Kinderhook acquired EcoKind in 2022, which is now a part of Primal Pet Group as well.

In 2022, Himalayan Pet Supply opened a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for its cheese chews in Arlington, which is certified for food safety and quality by SQF and APHIS.

Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.