Iams
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| Iams | |
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| Type | Private |
| Founded |  Dayton, Ohio (1946) |
| Headquarters | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Industry | Pet food |
| Products | Dog food, cat food, animal health products |
| Owner | Procter & Gamble |
| Website | www.Iams.com |
Iams is a brand name for dog food and cat food manufactured by Procter & Gamble. The Iams Company was acquired by Procter & Gamble in September 1999.
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[edit] History
The story of The Iams Company goes back to the 1940s. Back then feeding of companion animals was predominantly home-made food, usually the remnants of the table. Paul Iams, an animal nutritionist, decided to take a different approach. After graduation from Ohio State University in 1938, he worked for a number of companies, including his father’s feed business in Dayton, Ohio.
He founded The Iams Company in 1946 – in a small feed mill near Dayton, Ohio – and developed the world’s first animal-based protein, dry Iams dog food in 1950. He called it Iams 999. In 1969 Paul formulated a new dog food to be named Eukanuba.
During the Arab oil embargo in fall 1973 the costs for meat and bone meal tripled but sales prices were frozen by a nation wide wage and price control by President Richard Nixon. But Paul Iams did not cheapen the product formula in the hope that it would be over soon. It was a financial disaster and the company nearly went broke. However for the founder: “it was the best thing that could have happened” as it maintained its reputation.
In 1975, however, after weathering the price freeze, the company was reeling. Paul Iams, feeling that he had taken the company as far as it could go, decided to close the company rather than try to grow the business any further. Clay Mathile, who joined Iams in 1970, wanted to save it and purchased half of the company in 1975[1][2]. He became the sole owner and president in 1982.
Growing from a $100,000 company in 1970 to $900 million in 1999, Mathile sold the company to Procter & Gamble (P&G) in September 1999. In July 2006 Procter & Gamble re-organized the Pet Health & Nutrition division into P&G Pet Care (consisting of the Iams and Eukanuba brands)
[edit] Animal welfare issues
Iams has been criticized by the animal rights organizations PETA and In Defense of Animals for the way in which the company conducts animal testing. PETA alleges that they engage in unnecessary procedures, like debarking of dogs and that their test animals are subjected to poor living conditions. In a 2002 undercover investigation of an animal-testing facility contracted by Iams, the investigator captured on a hidden camera images of dogs turning around in circles and dogs undergoing surgical biopsies.[3]
In response, Iams denied that the video footage was of animals involved in Iams conducted studies, claiming that the animals in the footage were "housed in the same facility but not a part of Iams studies." The company also rejects the accusation of debarking and killing of cats and dogs, claiming that it is against the company's long standing animal studies policies.[4]
To offer additional insight and transparency on Iams' research, the ASPCA participates on the Iams International Animal Care Advisory Board.This board provides input to the Iams Company on animal research issues. The Iams Company has requested that members of the board conduct unannounced site visits to Iams' research facilities. The ASPCA has information on each of their visits at their site.Iams sponsor the ASPCA Pet Nutrition and Science Advisory Service [4].
[edit] References
- ^ "Iams History". Reference for business [1]
- ^ "Iams History". Funding Universe [2]
- ^ video IamsCruelty.com
- ^ Iams Website[3]
[edit] External links
- Official website For information about Iams products.
- Eukanuba.com For information about Eukanuba products.
- About The Iams Company All About The Iams Company
- Eukanuba Breeders Eukanuba Dog Breeders Information
- Hoovers The Iams Company Fact Sheet
- Research Policy Iams' comprehensive company research policy
[edit] Sites critical of Iams
- IamsCruelty.com Peta's website on Iams
- IamsKills.com In Defense of Animals' website on Iams
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