Flint River Ranch today (June 11, 2007) initiated a new pricing structure that is effective immediately. As a distributor for Flint River Ranch we don’t have a great deal of control over the pricing that the official Flint River Ranch company sets, so it’s with regret that we announce new prices will be going into effect on our A+ FRR website starting Friday, June 15th.
A+ Flint River Ranch will continue to sell Flint River Ranch products under the existing prices until Friday.
If you’re wondering what has led to the pricing changes, here’s what the president of Flint River Ranch has to say on the current pet food market and the new FRR pricing structure:
This latest recall and the ramifications of the tainted ingredients being so widespread has instigated many changes nationally that we feel are good for our industry and necessary and important for pet owners to trust and have confidence in the pet food industry again. Thankfully, all that Jim [Flint] established as a foundation and belief for Flint River Ranch has insulated us from any of the troubles. It has also reinvigorated our customer base and brought many old customers back.
Industry Changes
The industry as a whole is now calling for more testing and certification, which will be provided at an increased cost to the consumer. As a company, Flint River Ranch has always invested in these costs, which include extensive testing and certification of pet food ingredients. However, the duplication of certification and testing efforts will come with additional costs, including [costs associated with] the pressure by regulatory agencies.
Flint River Ranch has always subscribed to purchasing ingredients from within the United States. Our quality sources are in place; however, many companies are now struggling and seeking new sources for their ingredients. There is strong bidding activity. This is putting considerable pressure on the market price, and the cost of ingredients has been pushed upward. The increased demand and use of certain grains, like corn for alternate energy sources, also puts pressure on the cost of all other grains.
The increased energy and fuel costs not only affect manufacturing and production overhead, but also have significant impact on transportation and distribution. These costs are increased when you consider the movement of freight is compounded as one cost builds on another. Flint River Ranch worked to structure national distribution centers to reduce shipping costs and improve delivery time. While this has been effective and benefits our customers, our shipping costs are more than double what they were a few years ago. These costs have been included in our product pricing to avoid additional shipping costs.
Many competitors add $5 to $7.50 for shipping plus the price of the product. Making a special trip to purchase pet food can cost you $2 to $3 in gas alone, besides valuable time. Home delivery is a most effective way to make sure your pet’s food is on hand.
Customers and those Distributors who have been with Flint River Ranch for a while, realize that we are a conservative company and have always put forth effort to keep our costs as low as possible. We have often been criticized for our conservative approach, but we always strive to benefit our customers. Those that study the market price of various quality pet food products have seen price increases over the last few months, with more increases pending before mid-summer.
FRR Price Changes
Flint River Ranch is announcing a price adjustment that will be taking force on Monday, June 11th. We are strongly negotiating with suppliers for long-term contracts for favorable pricing. We could lower our costs with cheaper ingredients, but we have pledged to keep our formulas standard and to maintain high quality without changes. Price increases will be structured only to cover our increased costs.
Flint River Ranch is also phasing out the 6 lb. bag of the Flint River Ranch Adult & Puppy Dog Food. All other sizes (10lb, 20lb, 40lb, 200lb, and 520lb) will still be available.
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