Yet another innovative Cincinnati company is moving to Over-the-Rhine. A converted livery, complete with old horse stables in the basement, will serve as the expanded office space for
Petbrosia, a tech-enabled consumer product company specializing in custom pet food.
"We combine tech with something you can touch," CEO Keith Johnson says.
Petbrosia allows customers to enter specific information about their pet into an online system that then creates a custom blend best-suited to the pet's development and well-being. The company ships the food to customers across the continental U.S. in as little as one day. The company targets customers who are both e-commerce savvy and very passionate about their dogs and cats.
Johnson, a
Procter & Gamble veteran who started Petbrosia in 2013, sees their new downtown office as a primary example of the kind of innovation their company hopes to represent. He and his 12-person team hope to bring jobs to the neighborhood and develop the area as a technological hub. By taking over the space at 1415 Central Parkway, they also hope to contribute to the constantly-developing culture for which OTR is so well-known.
While the decision to move into the new OTR space was made quite some time ago, Petbrosia's most recent news involves a $1.5 million loan from
Ohio Third Frontier, a main source of funds for growing companies in the area. With the pet category of consumer products growing at a rapid pace, Petbrosia arrived on the scene just in time. Johnson believes they were granted the loan due to the fact that their revenues have remained consistent.
The loan money will be primarily used for marketing, he says, which includes hiring new staff, creating infrastructure and launching a new product line.
As for the new office space, the large building will provide ample room for a growing staff, and then some. With the recent launch of a vet partnership program, the Petbrosia offices will provide an ideal meeting space for seminars. Petbrosia also plans to share the space with
Petwave, a pet-related content website that emerged in 2007. With plenty of room left over, the space may also be rented out to non-pet-related companies who want to be part of the OTR business scene.
Though the custom pet food idea has been picked up by larger pet food companies like
Purina, Johnson is confident that Petbrosia's small size and personal commitment to each pet/pet owner will ensure the stability of their business. They also have a process and method patent currently pending to protect their concept.
"I think bigger companies have a harder time innovating," Johnson says. "With a smaller staff, the shift is much easier."
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