Rapid growth puts Stella & Chewy’s on Wisconsin 75
Pet food maker with over 400 workers makes list
In the last five years, pet food maker Stella & Chewy’s has outgrown two manufacturing plants, quadrupled its workforce and doubled the number of pet stores where its products are sold, now topping 5,500.
That’s the kind of growth that puts a company on Deloitte’s Wisconsin 75 list for the first time — and probably for years to come.
“Stella & Chewy’s has grown our employee base from less than 100 to over 400 in the last five years, and we see this growth continuing over the next two years as we grow our brand,” said Marc Hill, chief executive officer of the company, which makes frozen and freeze-dried raw food for dogs and cats and other natural pet products.
Oak Creek-based Stella & Chewy’s is one of three companies joining the Wisconsin 75 — a program, now in its 17th year, in which the accounting and consulting firm Deloitte recognizes the state’s largest privately and closely held companies. Also new to the list this year are Faith Technologies Inc., of Menasha, and Jewelers Mutual Group, of Neenah.
“We are honored to have been selected amongst many other great Wisconsin private companies,” Stella & Chewy’s Hill said.
The Wisconsin 75 will be honored at a breakfast ceremony Tuesday at Saint Kate — The Arts Hotel in downtown Milwaukee.
“Companies in Wisconsin’s private sector play an important role in powering the state’s economy and communities,” said Scott Wrobbel, Central Region market leader and Milwaukee managing partner for Deloitte. “I look forward to this event because we recognize not just the individual successes of these 75 organizations, but also the collective impact of these private companies on the state of Wisconsin.”
Jack Salzwedel, chairman and CEO of
American Family Insurance, is the scheduled keynote speaker. Salzwedel is expected to talk about the company’s transformation over the years — going from a regional carrier selling through agents to a national enterprise of companies selling across the country through a variety of channels. He also will touch on American Family moving forward, and how Milwaukee fits into that strategy.
“The audience is interested in hearing about the growth and evolution of Wisconsin companies, especially one that has a large brand and footprint in the state and is focused on making an impact on our communities,” Wrobbel said. “American Family has been near the top of the Wisconsin 75 list since joining seven years ago. Additionally, American Family was a 2018 Distinguished Performer award winner in the Community category.”
The Wisconsin 75 are ranked by annual revenue, which puts Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. at the top. The Milwaukee-based insurer and financial advisory firm had revenue of $28.5 billion in 2018.
The companies on the list represent various industries, such as: retail, whole and distribution; consumer products; insurance; automotive; industrial products and construction; technology; real estate; transportation, hospitality and services; investment management; banking and capital markets; life sciences; mining and metals; and oil, gas and chemicals.
Twenty-one companies have been on the list annually since it was started 17 years ago.
Among this year’s 75 are five that will receive Distinguished Performer awards. These special awards recognize how companies are successfully addressing challenges around local and global competition and staying accountable to their communities and employees.
Distinguished Performer award nominations are part of the overall Wisconsin 75 submission process. The award gives companies the opportunity to be recognized for their contributions to the business community and to spotlight their organization’s specific accomplishments in the areas of community, diversity, innovation, succession or sustainability. The nominations are reviewed by a team of external judges, who decide the winners.
This year’s Distinguished Performers: Community, Robert W. Baird & Co.; Diversity, Secura Insurance; Innovation, Church Mutual Insurance Co.; Succession, Sargento Foods Inc.; and Sustainability, Promega Corp.