Media – Dynamite Specialty Products

December 22, 2015

Raw Dog Food Sales Increase Means Higher Dog Vitamin Sales at Dynamite Specialty Products

MERIDIAN, Idaho – Increasing sales of raw dog food are leading to higher sales of canine vitamins, probiotics and nutritional supplements at Dynamite Specialty Products.

The Pet Food Institute estimates that sales of packaged raw pet foods have increased 17 percent, or $114 million a year, in the United States since 2008. The total is almost certainly higher as many people prepare their own raw pet food.

While raw food has nutritional benefits, many experts agree that it lacks some nutrients that animals would receive if they were catching their own prey in the wild.

Dynamite, which produces vitamins and nutritional supplements for all living creatures, is seeing a resulting increase in sales for a number of dog vitamins and supplements, particularly TNT and Dyna Pro.™

TNT sales have increased approximately 40 percent in the past two years, said Dynamite CEO Callie Zamzow.

TNT, which stands for Total Nutritional Top-dress, is a synergistic combination of foundational vitamins, minerals and trace minerals, nutrients and herbs that support healthy growth and maintenance of joints and support tissues, clay to address environmental toxins, trace and micro trace minerals, immune boosters and even a bit of yucca to address inflammation naturally and reduce urine burns in the lawn. It is highly palatable and can be mixed with water to form a gravy to be poured over food.

Also popular is Dyna Pro,™ a prebiotic like yogurt and the fermented foods people eat, that helps with digestion by improving the substrate where healthy gut microbes flourish. Colonies of healthy gut microbes in dogs can be impaired by stress, diet changes, vaccinations and antibiotics, among many other things.

While some of the sales increases can be attributed to the growing popularity of raw dog food, it also is due to the greater interest in proper nutrition for both pets and humans today, Zamzow believes.

The Pet Food Institute reports that pet food sales, estimated at $21 million in 2014, have almost doubled since 2000. Sales of human vitamins and supplements also are increasing, she added, with Dynamite seeing a 10 percent growth in sales of these products over the past two years.

Sales of Dynamite’s Super Premium Dog Food also have increased by about 20 percent in recent years as people who don’t have time for raw food are looking for a kibble containing ingredients they can trust. This all-natural dog food is made in the USA with fresh, hand-trimmed USDA chicken and low-ash lamb and is free of the common allergens corn and wheat.

Super Premium Dog Food is made with minimal processing using a low-temperature, high-moisture extrusion process so that minimal damage occurs to proteins and nutrients in the food.

A family-owned business that has specialized in nutrition for four generations, Dynamite Specialty Products makes all-natural dog food and horse feed, as well as nutritional supplements for humans and virtually every other member of the animal kingdom. All Dynamite products are manufactured in the United States for better quality control.

Dynamite, with headquarters here, has more than 4,000 distributors across the country. Additional information is available at www.dynamitespecialty.com or by calling (800) 697-7434.

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November 25, 2015

Dynamite Bracing for Big Cyber Monday for Horse, Dog Products

MERIDIAN, Idaho — Dynamite Specialty Products is bracing for another big Cyber Monday after sales reached $226,000 last year – almost 14 times as high as on a typical November day.

Telephone lines will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time as customers across the United States take advantage of free shipping on almost all products. The only exceptions are products normally sold in bulk, such as horse and alpaca feed and large bags of dog food and cat food.

The special offer is available on Web orders Monday, November 30, 12:01am – 11:59 p.m. MST at www.dynamitespecialty.com.

The company will bring in snacks and lunches both Monday and Tuesday, said Callie Zamzow, chief executive officer of the firm that is a sister company to the Zamzows lawn, garden and pet stores in the Treasure Valley. While sales are expected to taper off on Tuesday, it will be another “all-hands-on- deck” day to process Monday’s orders. Processing and shipping team members will work from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

Dynamite makes food, vitamins and nutritional supplements for horses, dogs and virtually every member of the animal kingdom. It normally employs four people in the call center here, and will pull in five to six employees from other areas of the company to cover phones on Cyber Monday.

Cyber Monday sales have been growing rapidly, as more people turn to Internet and mail-order shopping. Cyber Monday sales were $90,000 in 2011, $120,000 in 2012 and $180,000 in 2013.

Among the items expected to generate the most sales this year are Dyna Pro, a probiotic for both horses and dogs, and TNT, a blend of vitamins and nutritional supplements for horses and dogs. The formulas are adjusted for the different species.

The TNT formula for dogs is highly palatable and can be mixed with water to form a gravy to be poured over food. It includes a bit of yucca to address inflammation naturally and reduce urine burns in the lawn. TNT for horses comes in easy-to-feed pellets.

Also popular is Dyna Pro, a prebiotic like yogurt and the fermented foods people eat, that helps digestion by improving the substrate where healthy gut microbes flourish. Stress, travel, diet changes, vaccinations and antibiotics, among many other things, can impair colonies of healthy gut microbes in both dogs and horses and cause them to lose their appetites.

Canine Cookies, a gluten-free, hypoallergenic dog treat, also is expected to be among the best sellers. Canine Cookies were introduced four years ago when dog trainers requested a healthy treat free of wheat and corn, which are common allergens. “Too many other dog treats also have questionable ingredients, including chemical preservatives such as BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and ethoxyquin,” Zamzow said.

A family-owned business that has specialized in nutrition for four generations, Dynamite Specialty Products makes all-natural dog food and horse feed, as well as vitamins and nutritional supplements for humans and virtually every other member of the animal kingdom. All Dynamite products are manufactured in the United States for better quality control.

Dynamite, with headquarters here, has more than 4,000 distributors across the country. Additional information is available at www.dynamitespecialty.com or by calling (800) 697-7434.

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September 27, 2015

Dynamite Specialty Products to Sponsor Sheepdog Trials Oct. 10-11

HAILEY, Idaho — Want to run sheepdog trials, like the ones coming up Oct. 10-11 as part of the Trailing of the Sheep Festival?

Assemble 50 border collies and 200 to 300 sheep. Find a place for the sheep with enough water and grass for them to eat for three days. You’ll also need a 40-acre field for the competition.

The sheep will sleep in the field. The dogs and their handlers prefer more upscale lodgings, although most are willing to stay in their own motor homes and campers. The handlers will bring food for themselves and their dogs.

By the way, though, the dogs also would like a wading pool so they can cool off after they compete.

These are just a few of the logistical challenges that face Lavon Calzacorta, head of the sheepdog trails at the Trailing of the Sheep Festival. He also hires the judges who determine which dogs are the best at herding sheep, and finds an announcer and a hospitality tent for the competitors.

Calzacorta, who has been in charge of the trials for the past two years, not only trains his own nationally ranked border collies but also is operations manager of Dynamite Specialty Products, sponsor of the event and manufacturer of all-natural food and nutritional supplements for dogs, horses and most other living creatures.

Top distributors from Dynamite will be on hand to answer questions about nutrition for dogs and other animals.

Sheepdog trials are Calzacorta’s passion, in part because the nutritional challenges that face the hard-working, high-energy dogs coincide with his work at Dynamite.

“It’s all about guts” is his slogan, and it applies both to the Dyna-Pro prebiotic that fuels his dogs and the inner drive that spurs the dogs to round up the most recalcitrant ewes. He credits his work at Dynamite with helping him understand the nutritional requirements of his dogs, which have been ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Dynamite Super Premium Dog food is the staple of his dogs’ diet. The all-natural food contains prebiotics and probiotics to aid digestion and chicken cartilage that is rich in natural glucosamine to support healthy joints. No corn or wheat is used, as they are believed to be a cause of common allergens in dogs.

What are sheepdog trials like? The handler stands perfectly still beside a post and whistles to the dog, almost always a border collie. That’s the signal for the dog to run 400 yards, gather a group of four to five sheep, and bring them back. Want the dog to herd the sheep into a pen? Or separate a single sheep from the group? A well-trained border collie will do all this, guided only by hand signals and whistles.

Approximately 50 dogs from around the Western U.S. and Canada, including some of the top-ranked dogs in the nation, will compete here this year.

Calzacorta’s 10-year-old Border collie, Gus, already has qualified for the national finals later this year. Two-year-old Becca is in the nursery division of the national championships this week in Alturas, Calif.

The sheep dog trials will be at the Quigley Canyon Fields on Quigley Canyon Road from dawn until dusk both days. Admission is $3 and children under 5 are free. Spectators may bring lawn chairs. Additional information is available at http://www.trailingofthesheep.org/dogs.

A family-owned business that has specialized in nutrition for four generations, Dynamite Specialty Products makes all-natural horse feed and dog food, as well as nutritional supplements for humans and virtually every other member of the animal kingdom. All Dynamite products use only ingredients made in the United States for better quality control.

Dynamite, based in Meridian, has more than 4,000 distributors across the country. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.dynamitespecialty.com or by calling (800) 697-7434.

The 2015 Festival continues its three-year program “Celebrating Generations.” The idea is to listen, learn, share and save the memories of western families – dreamers, all of them, who live and work the land and are the keepers of open space. Ranching families will be attending from around the West to share their stories and help trail the sheep through the Wood River Valley.

The five-day Festival includes nonstop activities in multiple venues – history, folk and traditional arts, a Folklife Fair and Fiber Festival with classes and workshops, music, dance, storytelling as well as two days of Championship Sheepdog Trials.

The Trailing of the Sheep Festival has been recognized as one of the Top Ten Fall Festivals in the World by msn.com travel, Top Ten US Fall Festivals by smartertravel.com, Top Animal Festivals in the World and Top Ten Fall Festivals by USA Today, America’s Wackiest Fall Festivals by The Huffington Post, and One of the Greatest Cultural Events in the West by Northwest Travel. It also is the recipient of the Idaho Governor’s Award for Cultural Heritage.

For information and a detailed schedule of events, go to www.trailingofthesheep.org.

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September 23, 2015

Two Grand Champion Steers Raised on Feed Produced in Meridian

MERIDIAN, Idaho – The 4-H grand champion steers at both the Canyon County Fair and the Western Idaho Fair were raised on Dr. Jim Z’s State Fair Steer Feed, produced at the Meridian Feed Mill here.

Both were entered by Annie Bass of Nampa.

“We have worked over the years to develop an outstanding steer feed and we are very proud of this,” said Jos Zamzow, whose family has owned the Meridian Feed Mill since 1953. “We are proud and honored to be involved with the local 4-H programs.”

Zamzow personally purchased the grand champion steer at the Western Idaho Fair.

“We have had the pleasure of manufacturing feed for many 4-H members who have raised grand champion animals, including sheep, hogs and steers, on our award-winning feeds,” Stacy Boston said. Boston and Patrick Shenk manage the mill.

The Dr. Jim Z’s State Fair Steer feed is produced in one-ton batches at the mill to ensure a high-quality fresh feed. The Dr. Jim Z’s State Fair Steer Feed is a two-way sweet feed consisting of rolled barley and rolled corn, made into a specially designed supplement pellet that is fortified with protein, vitamins and minerals. It is designed for steers starting at age four months.

The Feed Mill manufactures feed for horses, cattle, poultry, swine, goats, sheep, llamas and small animals. It uses no urea, antibiotics, or meat and bone meal, and no pesticides are added to the grain or used on the premises.

The all-natural feeds at the mill were developed by Jim Zamzow. He also developed the Dr. Jim Z and Grandma Z lines of products at Zamzows garden and pet centers in Boise and the surrounding communities.

The Feed Mill is located at 611 N. Main St. here. Hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays. Additional information is available at meridianmill.com.

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September 15, 2015

Schumacher Named Marketing Coordinator At Dynamite Specialty Products

MERIDIAN, Idaho — Jessica Schumacher has been named marketing coordinator of Dynamite Specialty Products, which makes all-natural food and nutritional supplements for horses, dogs and virtually every member of the animal kingdom.

Schumacher has worked as a free-lance graphic designer, as well as for design and printing companies in Idaho and Minnesota. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Minnesota State University Moorhead and an associate’s degree in graphic design from Brown College in Mendota Heights, Minn.

She and her husband, Ryan, own two dogs and also are foster parents for the Idaho Humane Society. “Dynamite is a perfect fit,” she said. “We are avid animal lovers and Dynamite gives me the opportunity to use my marketing skills to promote the health and well-being of all types of animals.”

A family-owned business that has specialized in nutrition for four generations, Dynamite Specialty Products makes all-natural horse feed and dog food. All Dynamite products use only ingredients made in the United States for better quality control.

Dynamite, based in Meridian, has more than 4,000 distributors across the country. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.dynamitespecialty.com or by calling (800) 697-7434.

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February 20, 2015

Horse Rescues Receive More Than $26,000 from Dynamite Specialty Products

Dynamite Specialty donates a percentage of sales of natural horse feed, probiotics and vitamins to horse rescues across the country to celebrate Year of the Horse.

MERIDIAN, Idaho — Horse rescue organizations across the country have received contributions of $22,956 in cash and over $3,500 in horse probiotics and other nutritional products as Dynamite Specialty Products concludes its Year of the Horse celebration on Feb. 19.

Dynamite donated $7,427 to RVR Horse Rescue in Riverview, Fla.; $5,915 to Strawberry Mountain Mustangs in Roseburg, Ore.;

$5,649 to Blue Star Equiculture in Palmer, Mass.; and $3,965 to Shiloh Acres Horse Rescue in Ault, Colo. Links: www.equiculture.org. www.shilohacres.org, www.rvrhorserescue.org, www.strawberrymountainmustangs.com

Dynamite, which makes natural horse feed, horse probiotics, and other nutritional supplements, based its donations on the sales of selected products. Dynamite customers nominated more than 100 horse rescues across the country for donations.

RVR Horse Rescue, located on a 48-acre farm, rescues and rehabilitates horses and places them for adoption. It works closely with the local sheriff’s department to rescue neglected horses, as well as to save horses from being sold for slaughter. The attached video, “Toby’s First Day,” is an example of RVR’s work.

Blue Star Equiculture raises its own alfalfa on a 129-acre organic farm powered by horses and humans. Working with local historical societies, it offers horse-drawn tours to increase awareness of the role horses have played in history. Blue Star is a sanctuary committed to helping horses, especially working horses, live out their days in comfort and dignity.

Shiloh Acres is a small, family-owned horse rescue dedicated to helping slaughter-bound, abused, neglected and unwanted horses. It is next to a livestock auction yard, the last stop for many animals, including horses. “Driving by this lot is a reminder of why Shiloh Acres does the work it does,” said Callie Novak, Dynamite CEO.

Strawberry Mountain Mustangs, an all-breed horse rescue and rehabilitation center, helped with the passage of a law that made equine abandonment a crime in Oregon. Grace, a mare featured on their Facebook page, was the subject of a court case leading to the new state laws.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grace-the-little-horse-with-the-big-spirit/149993988359361

Dynamite sponsored several horses at these selected rescues with custom product packages during the Year of the Horse Project. These packages included horse probiotics as well as the Equine Foundation Program and other products selected for the horse’s specific needs.

“For those of us who love and cherish horses, it is hard to face the fact that there are so many horses that have been abandoned, abused or neglected. Seeing these horses benefit from our natural horse feed, horse probiotics and other products has been the most rewarding part of the Year of the Horse Project,” said Callie Novak, Dynamite CEO.

Dynamite’s donations reflect a percentage of the sales of TNT®, a horse nutritional supplement, and DynaPro horse probiotics, as well as a matching cash contribution.

“TNT is the base of our Equine Foundation Program and is an all-in-one, easy-to-feed supplement. It seemed appropriate to select TNT as the foundation of the Year of the Horse program,” Novak said.

“Our vision is to ‘improve the lives of all creatures by empowering people with the truth and knowledge about health,’” she added. “The recoveries at these horse rescues show how nutrition can improve health. Horse probiotics, for example, are not as well known as some of our other products yet they are vital to proper nutrition.”

As a result of the Year of the Horse project, several horse rescues have begun selling Dynamite products as an adjunct to their fund-raising programs. “This has been a win-win situation for all of us,” Novak said.

About Dynamite

Dynamite has more than 4,000 distributors across the country. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.dynamitespecialty.com or by calling (800) 697-7434.

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