By Laura Potts, Digital Marketing Specialist at PetSafe
As we celebrate Valentine’s Day tomorrow, PetSafe is also celebrating another event close to our heart. This week, we will celebrate 21 years of helping pets and their owners lead safe and happy lives. We aren’t usually a company that celebrates our birthday. In fact, some associates probably wouldn’t know Valentine’s Day is when it all began.
But, we think it’s important to look back and celebrate how far we’ve come. We’ve compiled a list of 21 facts you may or may not know about us:
1. Did you know we started with only one product? In February of 1991, our founder and CEO Randy Boyd and a handful of other associates brought the first do-it-yourself containment system to the market armed with determination and one erratic computer.
2. Did you know we sold 3,000 units in the first 30 days? That’s 100 products per day! Even more shocking was the one million dollars of product we sold in 6 months.
This is a picture of our founder and CEO Randy Boyd in one of our first offices! He hasn't changed one bit in the last 21 years - he must eat all his vegetables!
3. Did you know our first office was in a renovated tractor trailer? That’s right. Even though it was only 8 feet wide, 40 feet long and didn’t have any window, it was quite contemporary with turquoise colored carpet, modern furniture, sheet rock, and power.
4. Did you know our first product was called the Radio Fence? The name came from how the products work. In-ground containment systems transmit a radio signal that the collar picks up.
5. Did you know no one, including our CEO, has a private office? Every associate sits in an open cubicle. In fact, our CEO moves desks each year to sit with different people in different departments. For 2012, he is sitting in Customer Care.
6. Did you know our conference rooms are all named after pets? Some are named after our favorite work dogs like Jake’s Place and Penny’s room, but all of them have a fun pet flare.
7. Did you know we give away $100,000 dollars in our Bark For Your Park contest? This year’s contest will be even bigger. Keep your eyes peeled for details coming soon.
8. Did you know we conduct dozens of research studies each year? It’s important to know what pet owners think and get their feedback on using the product first hand. If you’d like to participate in our research studies, send us an email at social@petsafe.net.
9. Did you know our products are sold all over the world? Currently our products are creating success stories in 52 countries (and growing) across six continents.
10. Did you know PetSafe is in a family of other great pet brands? Our parent company, Radio Systems, owns many of the most recognizable pet brands in the world including Invisible Fence® Brand, SportDOG® Brand, Premier® Pet Products and Drinkwell® Pet Fountains.
11. Did you know PetSafe lives by its values? Each of our 7 values can be seen in everything we do. Some of them include “try a lot of things and keep what works,” and creating “an environment of openness, equality and teamwork.”
12. Did you know PetSafe has opened 4 dog parks in Knoxville? We believe having a place for dogs to run, play, and socialize makes a community more pet friendly. With parks #5 and #6 on the way, we’re proud to partner to make Knoxville the Most Pet Friendly Community.
I dress up at Thanksgiving and Christmas each year to distribute the turkeys and hams to our associates. Here is a picture of me last Christmas as Frosty!
13. Did you know we give each associate a turkey for Thanksgiving and a ham for Christmas? It’s one of our favorite traditions. A team of associates (including myself as Frosty) dress in costume, play silly games, and theatrically distribute meats to over 300 associates.
14. Did you know we bring our dogs to work? On any given day you’ll see dozens of furry associates running around. They’re often our inspiration for new product ideas.
15. Did you know we have associates across the globe? Although we’re headquartered in Knoxville, TN, we also have offices in Nevada, Virginia, Ohio, China, Australia, UK, and Japan.
16. Did you know our mission is to be the most trusted brand in the pet industry? It’s how we measure ourselves and drives each of our goals.
17. Did you know we are the leading manufacturer of pet electronic products? From containment systems to pet doors and waste management systems, we offer the most innovative, advanced electronic pet products.
18. Did you know we lead our industry in patents? To date, we hold over 370 patents.
19. Did you know we have made over 11,000 different types of products? In fact, some of our best product ideas came from customers.
20. Did you know our latest product is an underwater treadmill? It’s part of a whole line of products used by veterinarians to help keep your pets healthy.
21. Did you know for us it’s not really about making money? Our CEO Randy likes to say that at the end of our lives are about what difference we made in the world, and the relationships we had with others throughout that period. Happy Birthday PetSafe!
What did you learn about us?
Laura's pups Ellie and Lincoln love that she works at PetSafe, because they get to come to work with her too!
ABOUT LAURA Laura manages the complete digital media presence for the PetSafe Brand. Laura also donates her time to helping improve animal welfare. She has helped saved the lives of many pets through her work and more directly by adopting two dogs of her own, Ellie and Lincoln who often accompany her to work and to volunteer events in Knoxville.
