- 2:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Registration open
- 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Meet and Greet Reception
- 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
Continental breakfast and registration
- 8:05 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Shaping the Future of Pet Nutrition and Consumer Expectations
Gail Kuhlman, Ph.D., Principal Consultant, GXK Consulting LLC
Consumer expectations, retail dynamics and ingredient innovation are rapidly reshaping the pet food landscape. This keynote address explores the macro trends influencing product development — from functional nutrition and premiumization to sustainability, transparency and the evolving definition of the modern pet parent. Attendees will gain a forward-looking perspective on how an industry shifted by COVID-19, changing consumer behaviors and advancements in nutrition science is redefining the future of pet food.
- 9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
AI’s Role in Modern Pet Food Production
Robert Fredrich, Director of Operations,
Food & Beverage Division,
Burns & McDonnell
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being applied across pet food production to improve consistency, enhance food safety, reduce waste and drive smarter decision-making. This session offers practical insights into real-world use cases, emerging technologies, and key considerations for implementing AI in manufacturing operations.
- 9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Coffee and Networking Break
- 10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
From Prevention to Response: Managing Food Safety Incidents in Pet Food Manufacturing
Jarrod Kersey, Ph.D., Vice President,
Food Safety & Quality Assurance, Alphia
Food safety incidents demand fast, coordinated action across operations, quality, legal and communications to protect pets, brands and business. This session delivers practical guidance on recall prevention, mock recall execution and real-time response planning, including how processors can align internal teams and communicate effectively to maintain trust during a recall. Processors will leave better equipped to manage both the execution and the external response to any food safety incident.
- 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Protecting Margins in a High-Cost Environment: Smarter Investment and Operational Tradeoffs
Tyler Cundiff, Executive Vice President, Integrated Sales, Gray, Inc.
This session examines how pet food and treat manufacturers can make smarter business decisions to balance automation, expansion, efficiency, capacity and product mix while protecting profitability in today’s high-cost environment. Attendees will gain actionable insights into aligning financial investments with long-term operational performance and competitive positioning.
- 11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Lunch and Networking
- 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tariffs and Trade Barriers: Navigating Global Pet Food Commerce
Rebecca Rizzuti, Founder, Progressive Trade Consulting
International commerce presents a powerful avenue for brand growth and market diversification in the pet food industry. This session examines how shifting trade policies, tariffs and geopolitical pressures impact ingredient sourcing and finished goods distribution around the globe.
- 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Beyond Extrusion: Emerging Capabilities in Pet Food Manufacturing
Greg Aldrich, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer,
Nulo
As consumer demand and product innovation expand beyond traditional kibble, pet food manufacturers are investing in new processing technologies that enable greater flexibility, differentiation and quality control. This session will explore these advancements and demonstrate how they can impact throughput, food safety, capital investment and product innovation.
- 2:45 p.m.– 3:15 p.m.
Coffee and Networking Break
- 3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
State of the Industry Panel: Challenges, Pressures and the Path Forward
Moderator:
Michael Johnson, Principal, BSM Partners
Panelists:
Phillip Bramel, Chief Executive Officer, Vets Plus
Catherine McCarthy, Founder and Principal Consultant, Curious & Co. Strategy + Innovation
Jennifer Radosevich, Ph.D., Senior Vice President,
Product Development, Hill’s Pet Nutrition
Pet food and treat manufacturers are navigating a dynamic landscape shaped by labor constraints, food safety requirements, evolving ingredient and labeling regulations, and increasing sustainability pressures. In this State of the Industry panel, industry leaders will offer candid insights on the forces influencing operations, profitability and growth — and what they see ahead for the future of the pet food sector.
- 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Cocktail Reception
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Registration and Continental Breakfast
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- 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast and Registration
- 8:05 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
State of the Regulatory Landscape Panel: Current and Emerging Requirements
Moderator:
Kimberlie Clyma, Editor, Pet Food Processing
Panelists:
Bill Bookout, President and Board Chair, National Animal Supplement Council
Hayley Larson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Kansas State University Olathe
Austin Therrell, Executive Director, Association of American Feed Control Officials
Pat Tovey, Vice President, Pet Food Institute
As labeling expectations continue to shift, manufacturers must adapt formulations, packaging and documentation processes to remain compliant. This panel will highlight emerging regulatory requirements and provide practical guidance for integrating compliance into daily operations without sacrificing efficiency or speed to market.
- 9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Regenerative Roots: Building a More Sustainable Ingredient Supply
Nathan Essary, President and Chief Executive Officer, Thousand Hills Agriculture
Regenerative agriculture strengthens pet food manufacturing by improving supply chain resilience, stabilizing long-term ingredient availability and enhancing traceability. Learn how regenerative sourcing can strengthen both the ingredient pipeline and the bottom line.
- 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Animal Disease Threats: Protecting the Pet Food Ingredient Supply
Lyn Huffaker, DVM, Ph.D., Founder, LH Solutions, LLC
Animal disease outbreaks, such as avian influenza and African swine fever, are reshaping global protein markets, tightening supplies, increasing costs and triggering sudden trade restrictions. This session examines how these events ripple through the pet food industry — affecting ingredient availability, formulation flexibility, production planning and pricing.
- 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Coffee and Networking Break
- 11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
The Strategic Supply Chain
Ken VonderHaar, Director of Client Engagement, CRB
Successful capital projects depend on more than equipment and infrastructure — they require operational and logistics readiness from the start. This session explores methods for improving project success by involving the right stakeholders at the right time and applying the 4Ms: minds, materials, methods, and machines. Attendees will learn from real-world project examples that serve as repeatable models for implementing changes that reduce risk, support startup and enable scalable growth.
- 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Building Loyalty and Connection with Today’s Pet Parent
Kristy Boulos, Chief Operating Officer, Matrix Partners
Today’s pet parents expect more than quality products — they seek transparency, shared values and authenticity from the brands they support. This session explores how pet food companies can move beyond one-time transactions to build lasting trust through storytelling, digital engagement, sustainability commitments and product innovation.
- 12:30 p.m.
Adjournment
*2026 Pet Food Processing Exchange conference sessions and speakers subject to change.
Stay tuned for the 2026 Pet Food Processing Exchange agenda, coming Spring 2026.