Enjoying success one bowl at a time! Dog food manufacturer Stella & Chewy's expanding in Oak Creek



OAK CREEK (WITI) -- The "Great Recession" is certainly not over for some companies. Just two days ago, Staples announced 53 cuts at their Oak Creek store -- but Oak Creek is actually the site of one company's expansion. That company, Stella & Chewy's is enjoying success one bowl at a time!

"(We) opened the first manufacturing plant in 2007," Stella & Chewy's CEO Jen Guzman said.

Stella & Chewy's is an all-natural pet food company located on Milwaukee's south side. As Wisconsin companies were hit hard by the recession, Stella & Chewy's wasn't only doing well. They were doing great.

"In November of 2011 we moved into this plant which is 50,000 squre feet and now we're moving to a 165,000 square foot facility in Oak Creek," Guzman said.

Running out of room is a good problem for Stella & Chewy's. The new location is about five times larger.

"I think it's important to really stand for something and be authentic," Guzman said.

Even during the country's toughest economic stretch in decades, Stella & Chewy's continues to grow when it comes to sales.

"Convenience is so important in today's marketplace. Consumers want convenient alternatives, but they also want the best quality food," Guzman said.

Whether that's food for humans or for man's best friend, the model of keep it simple and keep it good has gone a long way.

"The reason we're doing so well is we've gone back to the basics," Guzman said.

Stella & Chewy's should be operating out of its new facility by March 2015. Since 2007, Stella & Chewy's has nearly doubled its workforce to 115. Once at the new location, they expect to hire even more staff.

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