- Iams
Infobox_Company
company_name = Iams
company_logo =
company_type = Private
foundation = flagicon|USDayton, Ohio (1946)
location =Cincinnati, Ohio ,United States
key_people =
area_served =Worldwide
industry =Pet food
owner =Procter & Gamble
products = Dog food, cat food, animal health products
company_slogan = Life's better
homepage = [http://www.iams.com/ www.Iams.com]Iams is a
brand name fordog food andcat food manufactured byProcter & Gamble . The Iams Company was acquired by Procter & Gamble in September 1999.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 fromOhio State University in 1938, he worked for a number of companies, including his father’s feed business inDayton, 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 dog food in 1950. He called it Iams 999. In 1969 Paul formulated a new dog food to be namedEukanuba .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 . ButPaul 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 ["Iams History". "Reference for business" [http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/36/Iams-Company.html] ] ["Iams History". "Funding Universe" [http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Iams-Company-Company-History.html] ] . 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)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 conductsanimal testing . PETA alleges that they engage in unnecessary procedures, likedebarking 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 ahidden camera images of dogs turning around in circles and dogs undergoing surgical biopsies. [ [http://www.iamscruelty.com/videos.asp video] IamsCruelty.com]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.Iams Website [http://www.iamstruth.com/iamstruth/en_US/jhtmls/article/IT_Article_Page.jhtml?li=en_US&pti=RP&articleID=6] ]
To offer additional insight and transparency on Iams' research, the
ASPCA participates on the [http://iamstruth.com/iamstruth/en_US/jhtmls/landing/IT_Landing_Page.jhtml?li=en_US&pti=BA 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 [http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_iams their site.] Iams sponsor the ASPCA Pet Nutrition and Science Advisory Service [http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_petnutrition] .References
External links
* [http://www.iams.com Official website] For information about Iams products.
* [http://www.iamsfriendsforlife.com Iams Friend for life] Iams only community to help end pet homelessness
* [http://www.iamstruth.com Iams Truth] Iams animal care policy
* [http://www.iamsagainstcruelty.com Iams against cruelty] Stop animal cruelty brought to you by Iams
* [http://www.iamstruth.com/iamstruth/en_US/jhtmls/article/IT_Article_Page.jhtml;jsessionid=RCUZNAWNV4ROZQFIAJ1YYCQ?li=en_US&pti=RP&articleID=2 Research Policy] Iams' comprehensive company research policyites critical of Iams
* [http://www.iamscruelty.com IamsCruelty.com] Peta's website on Iams
* [http://www.iamskills.com IamsKills.com] In Defense of Animals' website on Iams
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