DENTON, TEXAS — Muenster Milling Company, a manufacturer of freeze-dried and extruded pet food, announced additions to its executive leadership team on July 31. Matt Donnell will take on the role of chief financial officer, Dave DeLorenzo was named vice president of sales, marketing and commercialization, and Andrew Chatterton will serve as the new director of sales.
“We are thrilled to welcome Matt, Dave and Andrew to the Muenster team as we strive to be the preferred supplier of freeze-dried meals, treats and inclusions to pet brands and retailers,” said Jim Holdrieth, who was named chief executive officer of Muenster Milling toward the end of 2023.
Donnell joins the company with more than 30 years of experience serving in a variety of financial leadership roles, most recently as CFO of Parker Products, a custom manufacturer of specialty ingredients for food and beverage products. Prior to that role, he served as chief operating officer and CFO of United 1 International Laboratories, a contract manufacturer of dietary supplements, sports nutrition and personal care products.
“Matt is an operationally oriented CFO who has significant experience in contract manufacturing businesses that focus on custom specialty ingredients,” Holdrieth added. DeLorenzo brings more than 30 years of experience in the pet food industry, previously working at Mars, Manna Pro/Compana Pet Brands, and Vetscience (d.b.a. Fruitables). During his tenure he grew and scaled large, medium and start-up pet brands in a variety of sales and marketing roles. His areas of expertise include providing strategic direction, sales planning, consumer promotion and customer marketing management. He’s also been responsible for leading teams of marketing, finance, R&D, manufacturing, procurement and logistics associates to launch new pet products and programs.
“Dave has a unique sales and marketing skill set that will be valuable to our customers as they scale their brands and drive innovation,” Holdrieth said.
From left: Andrew Chatterton, director of sales at Muenster, and Dave DeLorenzo, vice president of sales, marketing and commercialization at Muenster.
| Source: Muenster Milling Company
Chatterton most recently served as executive vice president of Pet & Farm for Compana Pet Brands where he managed key retail and distribution accounts. Before Compana, he worked as senior vice president of Global Sales for Hero Pet Brands, director of sales at Nestlé Purina, and director of sales at Retail Products Group.
“Andrew has global pet experience across all channels that will help our customers optimize their omni-channel strategy,” Holdrieth added. “At the end of the day, we are more than a manufacturer of pet food, but a strategic thought partner to our customers that provides product innovation and marketing insights to accelerate their growth and maximize their profits.”
In March, Muenster finished construction on a new vertically integrated, freeze-drying facility in Denton.
Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.
