The magazine for the Mars Petcare US associate community ...d2oqb2vjj999su.cloudfront.net/users/000/083/652/139... · lifeguard. This was my third triathlon, but my first as a part

The magazine for the Mars Petcare US associate communityWINTER 2008

WINFour Tickets

to See Hotel for Dogs

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NASCAR FeverA Trip to Talladega Superspeedway

Race for the Cure Associates Hit the

Road for Charity

Hotel for Dogs PEDIGREE® on the Silver Screen

In MemoriamRemembering

those we’ve Loved and Lost

4 From the President

5 About Associates• Service Anniversaries • Laura Sliwak Braves the Hudson River • The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure • In Memoriam

11 Environment• Making the Most of Unused Land

Contents

2 Mars The Associate

9

A trip for four to the Nashville screening of

Hotel for Dogs

WIN16

12 Events• NASCAR Day at the National Office

• A Trip to Talladega Superspeedway

14 Feature• PEDIGREE® Hits the Big Screen in Hotel for Dogs

16 WIN Four Tickets to see Hotel for Dogs

22

26

Mars The Associate 3

17 Brands• The GREENIES® Story

• A New Field Team for WHOLEMEALS® • The TEMPTATIONS® ‘Promise of Pleasure’

20 Peticulars• Breed Feature: the Persian Cat • Jason Ripper and Buster

Welcome to the Winter edition of The Associate – we hope you enjoy it. If you would like to contribute, please send stories and ideas to

either Ben Chapman or Rebecca Dickerson at [email protected] or phone (615) 807-4265.

Editor: Ben ChapmanThe Associate is published quarterly by Mahlab Media on behalf of Mars Petcare US. www.mahlabmedia.com.au

22 Account Profile• The NUTRO™ Demo Difference

24 Community• BizTown • The Animal Friends

Humane Society • Petco

25 Site Profile• The Lebanon Site Goes Wild • K-9 Heroes of Mattoon

27 Health & Wellbeing• Learn to Recognize the Signs of Cancer

RPrinted on

recycled paper

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12 13

From the President

The Associate is a magazine for you and your family about associates. We look for articles about your working life and your interests and achievements outside work. Below are some guidelines to help get you started.

ABOUT ASSOCIATESThis section introduces everyday associates. We want to read about your interests and achievements inside and outside work. Alternatively, you can nominate another associate.• 300–400 words, plus photos.

EVENTS These are stories about associate events that take place, such as site celebrations. We look for lots of colorful, fun pictures. • 200–300 words plus photos with lively captions that capture the mood and humor of the event.

PETICULARSThis section gives you a chance to write in about your pets, including hints and tips to keep pets happy and healthy.

HEALTH & WELLBEING Stories about activities and initiatives that are related to health and fitness. • 200–300 words.

COMMUNITY This section describes the involvement of associates and the business in the community, including sponsorships, donations and volunteering.

FAMILY LIFEStories about significant achievements by associates’ family members.• 200–300 words.

BRANDSBusiness news about product launches, new processes, acquisitions, technology updates and trade news with a focus on associate involvement and a sense of fun.

EDITING To help make The Associate as reader-friendly as possible, we may edit your submissions. Please advise us if you would like to be contacted during the editing process.

PHOTOGRAPHYPlease note that digital photos should be in high-resolution.

Editorial guidelines for The Associate

For editorial and photo contributions for The Associate, contact Rebecca Dickerson at (615) 807-4265 or email [email protected] or email Ben Chapman at [email protected]

I have been with Mars for 10 years now and it has been

extremely rewarding. Over this time and throughout each level and function I have always been given the opportunity to put my stamp on the part of business I was responsible for.

This has been true whether I was an entry-level marketer or more recently as General Manager for the Canadian business. The opportunity to create something new is really what attracted me to Mars and it has retained me over these years.

I come from an entrepreneurial background so it was natural for me to start my own business out of undergraduate school.

My company focused on the distribution and retail sales of international newspapers and magazines. After two years I sold the business and was lucky enough to travel the world for a while. Following that, I got my MBA and joined Procter and Gamble for 10

months. While it was a great business, it just wasn’t the right fit for me. One day I got a call from Mars and I found a place that I could truly be my self – an entrepreneur in a corporate setting.

Secrets of SuccessI was attracted to the role of

President of Mars Petcare because of the sheer size of the opportunity, and also the challenge of bringing to life our vision of being a premier North American petcare company.

In my view there are three key ingredients to a successful business: great people, great brands and great operational processes.

The way of getting the most from the workforce is by creating an environment where everybody can be their best, and where they feel respected and supported. The work environment should celebrate diversity so you do not have to check your personality at the door. It’s about creating challenging work assignments, proper decision-making responsibilities

and accountability and having a transparent vision and strategy.

One of the areas I have really enjoyed in my career at Mars is leading associates to a level of performance that they never thought possible.

I always try to help associates visualize possibilities by giving them the right decision-making power, tools and resources and eliminating distractions. It’s all about creating the right environment to allow individuals to be their best.

Personal LifeWhen I’m not at work I love spending time with my family and my great friends. I also enjoy weightlifting, cooking and driving my cars.

I would describe myself as energetic, fun, exuberant, passionate and brutally supportive, but a competitor would probably describe me as focused, sharp and resilient.

My laugh is probably one of the most unique aspects of my personality – I am fairly loud. I’m pretty determined, too; I never give up. I love to have fun, I am an extremist, and I want to get every bit of excitement from life that I can. •

Bringing our Vision to LifeMeet Luc Mongeau, Mars Petcare US’s new President.


10 yearsTerry Arnold INPLorraine Baranello BRNShonda Bayan BRNCharles Bookard ORAGeoffrey Browne BRNJosh Egermeier MOJJimmy Ellefson MOJJerry Farkas BRNAnthony Felando BRNTeresa Fonner KKMEdward Gaines KKSSalvador Garcia KKPGerald Gold PUECarol Gray BRNChad Helberg BRNHal Hipp KKSRob Holdheide BRNTimothy Jennings ORAJon Kinder KKSWilliam Knisley OHWJoy Lachowicz PAAOmar Leon PUEVicente Lopez KKPJose Martinez CATVictor Martinez KKPJason Matsukawa KKPJackie McNeely OKMJoe Meyers BRNDavid Bob Molinar KKPHenke Johnna Moore PAAAngel Morfin CATRoger Moritz KKMJaimes Arturo Perez TXTKevin Poopalasingam BRNDaryl Porter BIRKevin Rabinovitch BRNEdward Reed ORASteven Reneau KKSSalvador Sanchez KKPRudolph Schiller TXTJun Sison Jr. KKRBarbara Smith INPJames Stroud ORATammy Sweeney BRNFrank Vazquez MOJMichael Weaver JOPFred Weldon BIRIsom Williams BIRCharles Younkin PAE

15 yearsHoward Abrams KKCDagoberto Acosta TXTRobert Arnold KKCMason Billings BIRDavid Blackwell KKCTary Blair KKMRandy Dutton TXTDouglas Girton MOJ

Jimmy Harshman INPJimmie Jones JOPMark Kersey KSHRobert Lee NSCDennis Mack BRNJohn Montgomery TXTSteven Poorman MOJSteve Roush KKCFelisberto Santos CATDoug Schalk BRNRick Smith BRNStewart Townsend BRNRobert Yniguez CATLucio Yonemoto BRN

20 yearsTodd Altemeier BRNGlen Bennett MOJCurtis Brennfoerder OKCLarry Clay KKCAaron Cross KKMDavid DeLuca BRNMichael Dininger KKCJohn Fitzpatrick KSHKevin Heldberg MNLWendy Heldberg MNLHeliodoro Hernandez SBESteve James KSHTracy Lott IAMLarry Lowry KKMYusuf Nawabi VAMJeffrey Reynolds KKPDale Schneider BRNKathy Shaughnessy BRNSteven Slay MOJDavid Stoolfire KKCNorman West KKC

25 yearsGerald Bohlander SBEMike Bonic KKMAlan Dill KKMBrian Jones KKMCatalina Moyeda KKPLuis Munoz KKPJames Trexler PAA

30 yearsJoaquin Alvarez KKPBeals Marsha BRNJerry Franks BRNRichard Hellenbrand BRNPaul Douglas Hughes KKCDeborah Rudolph IAMCarlton Stephens BIR

35 yearsSteven Cowgar KKCLarry Phillips IAMWalter O’Neal BIR

About Associates


Service Anniversaries2008

Due to space constraints, only anniversaries of 10 years and above are able to be recognized in this publication.

Anniversary ProfileDave DeLuca engineers 20 years with Mars PetcareWith a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Akron under his hat, Dave DeLuca landed his first job with Mars Petcare in 1986. Starting out as a Project Engineer at the Columbus, OH site, Dave has been an integral part of the growth of Mars Petcare.

“After Columbus, we moved to Reno, Nevada, than on to Bolton, Canada where I was promoted to Engineering Manager,” says Dave. “After a couple of years, we moved to the Vernon, California site where I led the engineering team, and then I moved across the street to the national office and held the position of Technical Manager for the Pet Segment.”

Dave is now the Director of Engineering overseeing industrial, safety and environment, and the capital appropriations budget for Mars Petcare and relocated to Nashville in 2006. “At the time, my family wasn’t happy with me. I have three boys in high school or middle school, and my wife wasn’t thrilled either,” Dave laughs. “But now that we’re here, everyone loves Nashville. It’s a wonderful place to live. My oldest son is a senior in high school and part of an award-winning drum line at Brentwood High School. As a member of the band, he got to play on a Brad Paisley video and perform with Paisley on the CMA Awards. In fact, now we go to the CMA Awards Show every year. I can honestly say that we’ve become fans of country music, the songwriter community and this city!” •

About Associates


Question: Would you swim in the Hudson River? Answer: If you are Regional Sales Manager Laura Sliwak, the answer is yes!

As part of a relay team participating in the New York City Triathlon, Laura swam the first leg of the marathon in the Hudson River. “However cleaned up the Hudson is today, it was still pretty challenging. Everyone got stung by jellyfish – myself included!

“I wore a sleeveless wetsuit but was still stung, three times on my arms and once across my face. But, on the bright side, the Hudson has a very quick current which all the swimmers loved,” laughs Laura.

Water BabyLaura has a long history with swimming, going back to her childhood. “I swam competitively throughout high school and was offered a swim scholarship at college. My first job was as a swimming instructor and lifeguard. This was my third triathlon, but my first as a part of relay team.

“I met my teammates last year during a Danskin Triathlon Training and Event. Kathy Vita was the

Triathlon ChallengeBraving jellyfish and a notoriously polluted Hudson River, Regional Sales Manager Laura Sliwak swam her way to victory in the New York City Triathlon relay.

Heart Zone head coach and Kathy Johnson was an assistant. They had registered for the race last November, but the swimmer had to drop out due her mother’s health. I was asked to fill in.”

Besides dodging jellyfish, Laura has great memories of the winning day. “When I approached the end

of my swim I realized I was one of the first of my heat to get out of the water. Then it dawned on me that we could actually win the relay! We each did our part and more. When the times were posted we were thrilled, excited and so proud of our accomplishment. Okay, and a bit shocked too!” •

The First Place Relay Team (Women) of the New York City Triathlon (L-R): Kathy Vita (run, 10 miles), Kathy Johnson (bike, 25 miles) and Laura Sliwak (swim, one mile).

About Associates

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 2008 saw more associates than ever pull on

their sneakers and take part in the sponsored 5km run or walk. Some were breast cancer survivors, others honoring loved ones lost, and many who simply believed in the cause. “In 2006, Mars had 48 associates who ran or walked, and last year we had 114. How we’ve grown!” explains race co-captain Stacey Sheffield. “This year 197 associates and their family members participated.

Together, Mars Petcare associates raised $12,000 for the event which raised over $1 million!”

New to the race this year was the high profile corporate sponsorship of Mars Petcare. Susan Curlee, Pam Sullivan, Erin Nota, Jared Watson and Holly Cooper handed out over 7,000 samples to appreciative dog lovers.

“We also spread some M&M love with the Green Lady M&M, played by Sandella Gansheimer and her friends,” says Stacey. “And to top off the day, associate Nick Pierce came in first place in his age group.”

Racing for a CureOn a stunningly beautiful fall day, Mars Associates and their family members joined together for the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

About the Race for the CureThe Komen Foundation was founded by Nancy Brinker in honor of her sister Susan Komen who died of breast cancer in 1981 at the age of 33.

In 2008, the Komen Foundation celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Komen Race for the Cure, the largest series of 5K runs/fitness walks in the world, with well over one million participants since 2005.

The Komen Race for the Cure Series raises significant funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer, celebrates breast cancer survivorship, and honors those who have lost their battle with the disease.

A minimum of 25 percent of the net income from each domestic affiliate race supports the Komen for the Cure Award and Research Grant Programs, which fund groundbreaking breast cancer research, awards and educational and scientific conferences around the world. The remaining 75 percent of the net income from each domestic affiliate race stays in the local community to fund breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment projects.

“We have to give a tremendous thanks to Stacey Sheffield and Jenny Taylor who co-chaired the event,” says Community Affairs Manager Angel May. “They did such a great job planning for the race and recruiting associates.” •

Race co-chair Stacey Sheffield with Green

Lady M&M, AKA Sandella Gansheimer.

The 197 associates who ran won an award for Largest Corporate Team.



About Associates

Remembering Jan Schrampf Jennifer Schrampf had been involved in the Komen Race for the Cure for several years. “I have always been a big supporter for the Race for the Cure as I felt that someday someone I know and loved would be affected by breast cancer. Little did I know how close to home it would hit.

“My mom Jan was the glue that held everything together. My dad traveled a lot when we were growing up, so my mom was the central figure in our lives. There are four children, but she made an effort to make each one of us feel special. Every birthday, every holiday and just day-to-day life was to be treasured. I had a great relationship with my mom; she truly was my best friend.

First Signs“My mom had been religious about mammograms every year for about 10 years. Every one of them had come back clean. We did not have a history of breast cancer in our family, so she skipped a year. In the end that was a bad choice as it was during that time that she contracted breast cancer. My mom was 63 when she was diagnosed. She had been having problems breathing and was continually sick. She went to see an allergist and when they took some blood samples everything was out of whack. They immediately admitted her into a hospital and in a matter of days diagnosed her with stage four breast cancer. It was an aggressive, fast growing cancer and it spread very rapidly through her body.

“My mother had problems with medications her entire life, just about everything made her sick (allergy medicine, cough medicine) and there was hardly anything she could take without it bothering her and chemotherapy was no different. In the eight weeks between the time she was diagnosed and when she passed away, she was back in the hospital three times. She worked to stay positive and was determined to beat it, and she looked around at others who were fighting the same battle for inspiration. She never complained, just tried to fight through it.

Christmas Holidays“Her last days were difficult for us all as she was in the hospital during the Christmas holidays. On Christmas Eve, she was in pain and not very coherent, but Christmas day she was completely lucid, comfortable and surrounded by her family. At this point, we did not know that her battle was done. The day after Christmas, she took a turn for the worse, and it became apparent the doctors were losing hope. On December 27, 2005 they told us at that all they could do was make her comfortable.

“They say that people who are dying want to say good-bye to everyone they love and I am now a firm believer in that. My aunt flew in from Canada that evening. I dropped her off at the hospital so she and my father were with my mom. All of us kids ran home to take showers and so on but once my aunt arrived and said her goodbye, my mother passed away within the hour, peacefully.”

In MemoriamAssociates tell their stories about loved ones lost to cancer, and remember what made them special.

Know the Facts about Cancer• Second most costly and lethal disease in the United States• Estimated 1.4 million new cases annually• One in two men and one in three women will develop cancer during

their lifetime• Annual costs estimated at $206.3 billion• $78.2 billion in direct medical costs• $17.9 billion in lost productivity due to illness• $110.2 billion in lost productivity due to premature death• In an adult working population, 50 percent of cases occur in people

under age 55Source: American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures 2007

Racing for a Cure

(L–R) Jan Schrampf, husband Joe and daughter Jennifer

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About Associates

Jennifer has been with Mars since February 2007 and works as an Internal Category Manager in support of planners across all brands on the Grocery/Mass Brand side of the business. She encourages associates to support the Komen Race for the Cure: “Chances are that someone you know and love will be affected by this disease in your lifetime. This is a beatable disease we just have to believe and invest in research. Also, I want to encourage all women to get a mammogram regularly. Early detection with the disease makes all the difference in the world. And don't ever skip your mammogram.”

Remembering Stan Rife As the general manager of Mars Petcare’s General Steel Fabricators, Stan Rife was a quiet, unassuming man. “He never showed a temper or strong emotions. Stan worked for Mars for 13 years and his steel fabrication knowledge was highly respected within the industry,” recalls the acting General Manager of General Steel, Ron Schultz.

At the age of 63, Stan was diagnosed with colon cancer. According to Ron, the cancer was well advanced by the time it was detected. “When he received the diagnosis in December 2006, Stan admitted that he had ignored symptoms for several months,” said Ron. “Experimental chemotherapy was started immediately and he scheduled his treatments on

Fridays so he would feel good enough to come to work on Monday. Each Friday, he took treatments – one of them took nearly eight hours to administer. Then he’d go home with a mechanical pump connected to an implanted port. This continued his treatment until Sunday afternoon when a nurse would come to his home and remove the pump.

“Stan fought the cancer for one and half years. During that time he missed very little work,” comments Ron.

“On May 14 he privately told me that he knew the battle was over and he had lost. That was his last day in the office. He died on June 2, 2008.”

Stan’s LegacyStan’s wife Teri approached the associates at General Steel to be members of ‘Stan’s Soldiers’ to help raise money for the local chapter of the American Cancer Society. “The site associates admired Stan’s strength especially how he battled the cancer and the obvious side effects of

Surviving Breast Cancer: Early Detection There is a 97 percent five-year survival rate when breast cancer is detected early since this can help prevent it from spreading. Get a MammogramA mammogram is a specialized x-ray of the breast to help detect cancers which cannot be detected by touch. At age 40 women should begin getting annual mammograms by a licensed technician. t is very important that results are compared from one year to the next, so be sure you know where your mammogram film is being held.

Clinical Breast ExamThis is an exam by a health care professional. Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam at least every three years and women 40 or older should have an exam each year.

Self-ExaminationStarting at age 20 women should begin doing a self-exam. Ask your doctor if you are not exactly sure how to do this or if you are not sure you are doing it correctly.

Lie down and place one arm behind your head. Using your three middle finger pads press firmly across your breast in overlapping dime-size circular motions. Use three different levels of pressure: light, medium, and firm. This allows you to feel the tissue close to your skin, to feel a little deeper, and to feel the tissue closest to your chest and ribs. If lumps in the breast and/or underarm area are detected, schedule an appointment with your physician immediately. Also be aware of visual changes to the breast or nipple.

Stan’s wife Teri

‘Stan’s Soldiers’

About Associates

cancer in her hip bone,” explains Jason. “In the fall of 2006, she had surgery to correct her hip and remove the cancer. Following the surgery my mom suffered some nerve damage and reached a point that she had no feeling in one of her legs. In the summer of 2008, she was told that the cancer was spreading.”

Happy MemoriesA self-admitted ‘momma’s boy’, Jason fondly recalls his mother. “My mom introduced me as ‘this is my baby, Jason’, even into my 20s and 30s,” he laughs. “She always had a great love for animals and growing up we always had a pet. Her most recent dog is Sandi, a yellow lab that is a certified therapy dog. Sandi is still providing her therapy duties since she is there for my father every day. Mom was a great cook and she absolutely adored her grandchildren. She loved to send them letters, postcards and care packages.

“In retrospect, I am awe-struck by her spirit and positive attitude as I can only imagine the continuous and intense pain that she was in, yet I never heard or saw anything like fear or negativity. She simply just kept going and was determined to live life to the fullest.

“My mom was a fighter. The rounds of chemotherapy and radiation took their physical toll,

chemotherapy. Everyone at General Steel participated – approximately 45 associates were a part of Stan’s Soldiers. There are four Mars facilities in this area (including General Steel), and all of the facilities got involved.”

“One of General Steel’s employees owns a bowling alley, and he donated the facility for a Saturday afternoon. Associate teams were formed and the public was invited to an afternoon of bowling and friendly competition. All the proceeds went to Stan’s Soldiers,” explains Ron. “Stan’s family and all the Soldiers set up a booth at a local charity walk-a-thon, and Mars donated banners and t-shirts. The Stan’s Soldiers booth won awards for Best Booth, Best Rookie Booth, and the People’s Choice,” explains Ron.

The family’s initial goal was to raise $3,000, but Stan’s Soldiers raised $15,000 and ranked at the top of the list of fundraisers in the Joplin, Missouri area.

Remembering Marti CookMarti Cook fought the battle with breast cancer and won only to succumb to liver cancer eight years later. “My mother learned about the breast cancer in the fall of 2000 – she was 57,” remembers Mars Associate Jason Cook. “In the winter of 2001 she underwent a mastectomy and then received chemotherapy for another two years. It seemed that the treatments had been successful because she had appeared to be in remission for almost five years. However, in 2005 cancer was found in her liver.

“At the time, she was advised by her doctor that she only had six to nine months to live. She underwent chemotherapy again and soon after my mother began experiencing intense pain in her hip and had trouble walking. It was discovered that she had a fractured hip and

but she always seemed to bounce right back. But this past summer when they found out the cancer was spreading, the doctor recommended an alternative treatment with a cycle of oral medication. My mom started this in mid-July but had to stop after ten days because of the severe side effects of vomiting, diarrhea and mouth sores.

Last Goodbyes“She was admitted to the hospital on July 27 and the doctors tried to hydrate her but she couldn’t keep anything down. I visited mom as much as I could and when I left her room that Thursday evening, I kissed her and told her good night. I remember looking back before I left the room and she was waving good-bye.

The next morning (August 1), my father called me at 5:40 a.m. and told me that I needed to come to the hospital. When I reached the hospital my dad told me that the doctors had called him to say that my mom had taken a turn for the worse. She had passed away at 4:45 a.m. from either a stroke or blood clot. This news was a complete shock to the family because we knew she wasn’t in good condition but we had no idea that the previous night would be the last time we would see her alive.”

While it might have been a difficult thing to do, the entire family attended church together two days later. “We are all regular church-goers, but that Sunday it was hard to think about going to church because of the emotional pain we were all going through. But my dad

remembered that my mother’s wish and great joy was to attend church with all four grandchildren, so that Sunday my wife and I and our two children, along with my brother’s family attended church. Many in the church were probably surprised to see us (so soon after her death), but we proudly – and quite emotionally – were there

in solidarity with my father and to honor my mother.” •

Racing for a Cure

Marti Cook with self-confessed ‘momma’s boy’, Jason.


benefit from the food. If vegetables are planted than they can be made available for the personal use of the associates. For the plants that have cafeterias, instead of purchasing some foods from outside sources, the food grown on the site can be utilized,” explains Kevin. “Another level would be donating the crops grown by associates to community food banks and programs like Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest). Another use of the land could be to grow small volume raw materials (such as spices) used in that site’s products.”

Creative GrowingThis initiative will encourage creativity at the site level. “One example of land use could be at the Snackfood sites. Halloween is such a big season for this side of the business, so what if the land were used to grow pumpkins? Then the site could throw a Halloween party at their site for the community. Kids could come and pick out their own pumpkin for free. It meets the sustainability model: environmental (organic), economic (free pumpkins) and social (for the community).” •

Environment

Talk about “environmental footprint!” If you include all Mars US (Pet, Snack, Food)

properties we occupy 70 million square feet of land with only 10 percent of that covered by a building. Additionally, an estimated 15-25 million square feet is paved for parking or roads, leaving 40-50 million square feet of undeveloped land.

“The bottom line is that there is probably a square mile of land that we own and aren’t using. For the most part this land is grass that we are maintaining with fertilizer, sprinkler systems, and even mowing. Because it requires this type of upkeep, it suggests that the grass that has been planted is not well adapted to the local eco-system,” says Mars Director of Sustainability Kevin Rabinovitch. “Conventional thinking is to use native plants to the area that will grow without as much maintenance. This usually means native grasses and wildflowers.”

A Culture of Sustainability“Two of the still-developing sustainability goals for Mars sites will be enhancing the local ecosystem and

community, and establishing a culture of sustainability for our business,” explains Kevin. “Developing initiatives for this un-used land offers opportunities to advance both these goals. The original inspiration for this actually came from starting a vegetable garden at home and seeing how much my kids learned about where food comes from.”

To get beyond a home garden, Kevin approached the experts at Seeds of Change, one of the Mars Foods businesses whose mission is to preserve biodiversity and promote the use of sustainable organic agriculture. “I said to them: ‘We have this land and I bet you guys can tell me something better to do with it’,” he remembers. “We could plant a prairie grass which is good for the local environment but doesn’t do anything on the people side of sustainability. So let’s grow a food crop that is native to a specific site’s region. Now we’ve accomplished the environmental, economic and social goals because we are providing food.”

“Once a food crop is in place, we have several places we can go with it. First, the associates themselves can

Green sp ceUnused land at Mars US is ripe for eco-development – all it needs is a bit of imagination, says Kevin Rabinovitch, Mars Global Sustainability Director.

Calling all Greenthumbs!In order for the alternative land use initiative to be successful, associates will be needed at each site to take on a leadership role. If you are an avid gardener or farmer and interested in discussing an alternative land use project for your site, drop an email to [email protected] so we can develop some pilot projects for next spring.


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Events

In keeping with the spirit of the Amp Energy 500 Sprint Cup Series race in Talladega, AL, a

special NASCAR Day was held at the Mars Petcare National Office in Franklin, TN.

This fun-filled day in October celebrated the success of the number 18 PEDIGREE® Toyota Camry and our favorite NASCAR driver, Kyle Busch. Kyle even made an appearance, answering associates’ questions and signing autographs.

The number 18 team owner Coach Gibbs and pit crew were on hand as well, along with a NASCAR simulator, PEDIGREE show car, tire changing experience and remote control car track to keep associates entertained.

A merchandise trailer also offered 20 percent discounts for associates with an eye for a bargain! •

NASCAR Fever!

A celebrity appearance, driving simulator and remote control track were all part of a turbo-charged day at the Mars Petcare National Office.

Russ Emick (right) gets his son’s go-cart signed by his hero Kyle Busch (left).

BRN Events Team (L–R), front row: Brandon Ellis, Amanda Pierce; Middle row: Aaron Appelhanz, Andy Morris, Lisa Martin,

Pam Traughber, Kyle Busch, Shaunna Conner, Angelique Hopper; Back row: Mike Raybon, Daniel Lockwood,

Nick Pierce, Debbie Wilkinson

White knuckle ride: the NASCAR simulator experience.

The National Office gets a NASCAR makeover.

Events

The 20 associates who won our NASCAR competition had the once-in-a-lifetime

opportunity to go to the Amp Energy 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, AL, one of NASCAR’s most exciting tracks.

Associates had an action-packed day – not only did they get a trackside view of the race itself in a VIP suite with tasty lunch and refreshments, but they also got an exclusive tour of the pits and met NASCAR hero, Kyle Busch, driver of PEDIGREE’s lucky number 18 car. •

Race DayAn exclusive tour and some VIP treatment gave 20 lucky competition winners the trip of a lifetime in October.

Winning AssociatesSandra Brinkeroff Bob FisherAllan MartinRobert Reeves

Lia Rivadeneyra Reuben Fuentes

Steven Reneau

Donna Coleman Joy Lachowicz Nadia Webster-Long Nick Pierce Jerry Farkas Karen Graham Carrie Adams Edward Reed

Vickie Trueblood Juan Rodriguez Mike Wrye Linda Rudisill Dave Hargrave

(L–R) Sandra Farkas, Pamela Mars, Joy Lachowicz and Nadia Webster-Long.

Ed Reed


The PEDIGREE brand is proud to announce its partnership with the upcoming film Hotel

for Dogs, from DreamWorks Pictures and released by Paramount Pictures.

Hitting theaters January 16, 2009, Hotel for Dogs, starring Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon and Don Cheadle is a smart, funny comedy adventure that shows how far love and imagination can take you.

When their new guardians forbid 16-year-old Andi (Roberts) and her

See a Movie, Help a Dog

younger brother, Bruce (Austin) to have a pet, Andi has to use her quick wit to help find a new home for their dog, Friday. The resourceful kids stumble upon an abandoned hotel and using Bruce’s talents as a mechanical genius, transform it into a magical dog-paradise for Friday – and eventually for all Friday’s friends. When barking dogs make the neighbors suspicious, Andi and Bruce use every invention they have to avoid anyone discovering “who let the dogs in.”

The Adoption Drive SpiritThanks to the brand’s outstanding advocacy for homeless dogs and past dog adoption efforts, the studio knew PEDIGREE would be the perfect partner for the film and approached the brand with this opportunity.

After months of collaboration, both parties are extremely pleased with the results – the PEDIGREE brand plays an integral role in the movie and, for the first time ever, viewers can help dogs in need simply by attending the movie.

“See the movie, help a dog” has become the rallying cry for this movie – for every ticket purchased, the PEDIGREE brand will make a donation to help shelter dogs find loving homes.

A new star-studded film, Hotel for Dogs, brings the PEDIGREE® brand to life on the big screen.

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“As the brand that loves dogs, we’re proud to partner with Hotel for Dogs and are excited to maximize our efforts to help our four-legged friends in need,” says Amy Keith, Associate Brand Manager, Mars Petcare. “We share the film’s belief that all dogs deserve a loving home and encourage all of our associates to see the movie, help a dog.”

Beyond the movie, the partnership will be showcased via full-scale

marketing efforts driven by both the brand and the movie studio. From online to in-store to specially-tagged television ads and even on popcorn bags in participating theaters, the “see the movie, help a dog” message will be seen and heard by many. •

Feature

IN THEATERS JANUARY 16

Behind the scenes of the movie

Brands


Terms and conditions: 1. Subject to the additional restrictions below. The Associate competition (the “Sweepstakes”) is open to all Mars Petcare US associates (including Nutro Products and The Greenies Company associates) who submit a completed entry form. 2. The Sweepstakes will end December 22, 2008. To enter, send your completed entry form to The Associate Competition, Attn. Shaunna Conner, Mars Petcare US, 315 Cool Springs Blvd., Franklin, TN 37067, or drop it into The Associate Sweepstakes box at your site. 3. Winners will be selected at random from among eligible entries on or about December 23, 2008. 4. Prize: One of 2 trips for four to the Nashville Premier of Hotel for Dogs January 11, 2009. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. 5. Winners will be notified on or about December 23, 2008 at the telephone number and/or email address provided on their entry forms. The winner’s names will be published in the next issue of The Associate. Only one entry per associate. ®/TM Trademarks © Mars, Incorporated 2008

Name ..........................................................................................................................................

Telephone ...................................................................................................................................

Email ..........................................................................................................................................

Site ............................................................................................................................................

Entry Form:1. Email your name, site and phone number to:

[email protected] OR2. Fill in your details and

send this entry form to:The Associate CompetitionAttn: Shaunna Conner315 Cool Springs Blvd.Franklin, TN 37067

Entries must be received by December 22, 2008.The winners will be announced in the Spring Issue of The Associate

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In 1996, Joe and Judy Roetheli had a bad breath problem. No, the bad breath was not the human variety,

turns out it was a canine issue – their Labrador, Ivan, was the potty mouth. Like many pet owners, they loved to get up close and personal with Ivan, but plaque and tarter build-up on his teeth resulted in a case of gingivitis. Nothing seemed to work, but the Roethelis were not ones to give up easily.

Joe and Judy took their bad breath issue to a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and other experts, eventually developing the now-familiar tooth brushed-shaped dental treat known as GREENIES. The GREENIES treat is the perfect combination of taste (dogs and cats love them) and oral care. In fact, an independent dental test showed that using GREENIES dental chews once a day reduces tarter build-up by 68 percent and plaque by 10.5 percent.

“Our focus has expanded to embrace the veterinarian community through the Oral ATP (Assessment, Treatment, Prevention) program sponsored by GREENIES in conjunction with

veterinarian dental expert, Jan Bellows, DVM,” explains Associate Brand Manager Aaron Baker. “This is an online learning resource for veterinary practitioners, technicians and staff to learn about how to best develop, implement and maintain effective oral care procedures. GREENIES are an effective tool for veterinarians for prevention of periodontal disease.”

Revolutionizing the MarketWhile it took a few years for GREENIES to become a household name, it eventually revolutionized oral care for dogs and cats alike. “S&M NuTec, LLC (The Greenies Company) has always had a few core beliefs,” says Aaron. “First, we have always provided functional treats. Not only do our snacks and treats allow for the special human-pet interaction which all treats offer, but we provide functional, healthy

treats, that provide for the betterment of the pet.”

GREENIES has now expanded their line of dental treats for cats and dogs to include

Breath of Fresh Air

GREENIES Smart Biscuits and GREENIES Pill Pockets.

“The fastest growing product within the GREENIES portfolio

is the Pill Pockets. We have incredible testimonials from owners

that Pill Pockets have removed a lot of stress for the owner and the pet. As a cat owner, I have a lot of shredded shirts to prove this!” laughs Aaron. “There is nothing like Pill Pockets in the marketplace, and we look forward to launching more innovative Pill Pockets in 2009.”

Passion for Innovation“GREENIES has had a tremendous focus on in-store marketing. We have been leaders in pet specialty providing great merchandising tools for retailers,” Aaron continues. “One of the most exciting things about

the future of the GREENIES brand is that we now have the high impact Nutro

Products sales force and demo team pushing

GREENIES every day in pet stores across the

country. There is a lot of passion in the sales team and we are proud that they are the ambassadors of our brand.

“Our plans are to keep doing what we do best: create great snacks and treats with functional benefits, develop more tools for retailers, and allow our unique culture to flourish which ignites creativity and innovation.” •

The GREENIES® story started 12 years ago but the innovative brand just keeps evolving.

Brands

Brands

Did you know that there are over 16,000 retail outlets that fall into Pet Specialty,

Independent Pet and Independent Farm and Feed categories? Because of the size of this channel, Mars Petcare developed a new Sales Team to focus on these retailers.

“In this channel, the only way to get distribution is one store at a time,” says Sales Director, John Coryell. “To give you perspective, Nutro Products has gained distribution over the last 20 or so years in over 10,500 of these outlets. They have done this by developing a large field sales team to call on each of these outlets to dominate this channel.”

First StepsMars Petcare built an Independent Pet Specialty field team made up of four Area Managers: Sabrina Carter

(Northern California), Adam May

(Southern California), Gregg Melchiorri (Pacific Northwest), and Anna Barnes (Midwest). Additionally, there are two Regional Managers: Rich Hellenbrand who covers the western half of the U.S., and Laura Sliwak who covers the eastern half of the U.S. “As with most brands that start out in Pet Specialty, you need to start small and develop a profitable business so we can afford ourselves and add more area managers,” says John.

“In general our team sells all the brands but our key focus is on the profit brands – TEMPTATIONS®, CESAR®, and Dog Snacks and Treats. One of our biggest challenges this year was to launch WHOLEMEALS into this channel. We recently passed our first milestone by gaining distribution for WHOLEMEALS in over 1,100 outlets by September of this year.

“To drive distribution we offered

Ahead of the Field

a free shipper to every retailer that purchased one case of each of the eight new WHOLEMEALS items,” explains John. “If that was too big for a specific store we offered a small display at the check out. After securing distribution, our team has been very committed to ensuring that the product is moving off the retailer shelves by doing a number of weekend demos on their own time. Each team member is very committed to the success of the WHOLEMEALS brand in particular and have demonstrated this with the weekends and extra hours that they have put in doing demos, conducting educational seminars at store level, or just passing out coupons at dog parks,” says John.

High ProfileAnother key to the early success of WHOLEMEALS is a video that George Kay and Matt Hirschhorn produced using Dr. Tiffany Bierer as the spokesperson for WHOLEMEALS. The video is a two minute loop that plays all day on the WHOLEMEALS shelf. The video helps explain the WHOLEMEALS product and its benefits, as well as how to use it.

“The key is getting people to understand all the benefits, and the fact that this is a complete meal, not a snack. The product is awesome and could be the most palatable one we make. Once a dog tries it the product sells itself to the consumer,” explains John.

What’s Next?John is very excited about the upcoming year. “2009 is all about making sure that the stores that have distribution are successful. We will be very focused on educating the retailers, participating in major pet events in our key markets where we have area managers, and sampling. We want to ensure we have the price point correct, the product merchandised in multiple locations, and lots of point-of-sale material on the shelf.” The team has doubled the volume of TEMPTATIONS sold through the channel, and in 2009 it will focus on growing CESAR, TEMPTATIONS, Dog Snacks and Treats by over 50 percent. •

A new field team has been going the extra mile to launch the WHOLEMEALS® brand into the Independent Pet Specialty channel, with amazing results.


Left: The new Independent Pet Specialty field team.

Brands

According to Webster’s Dictionary, temptation means “to entice with the promise

of pleasure.” And the marketing team for TEMPTATIONS® cat treats is taking that definition to heart: over the past two years, the brand has seen an increase in sales of 60 percent. TEMPTATIONS is the largest brand in the cat treat category with a 43 percent share, which is up 14 percent from 2007.

“Allison Jones has been the brand manager on the TEMPTATIONS brand for the past two years and has grown brand sales by more than 60 percent during that time,” says Brand Manager Cat Snacks and Treats, Lisa Campbell. “Allison is now going to be working with NUTRO™ and I’m excited to be joining such a strong brand. I look forward to continuing to grow and evolve the business with the team.” The marketing team also includes Marketing Director Ed Uebele and Associate Brand Manager Cass Shields Noggle.

Winning Hearts and MindsAn interesting fact about cat owners is that only 44 percent of them treat their pet compared to 90 percent of dog owners.

“We have been driving growth by increasing category penetration. Being the leader in the category, one of the best ways to increase share is to increase the overall category sales,” says Lisa.

One of the reasons consumers do not treat their cats is because they don’t want to feed them junk food. Because of this, All Natural TEMPTATIONS was launched in January 2008 and has been incremental to the brand because it offers a healthy, natural way to treat. The buyers of All Natural TEMPTATIONS treats are impacting the category. “Almost 30 percent of All Natural

TEMPTATIONS users are new to the category and close to 40 percent of them are new to the TEMPTATIONS brand,” says Lisa.

“TEMPTATIONS has achieved its success by having a great product. The palatability of the TEMPTATIONS brand is great, so once a cat tries it, the owner is sold on the product,” she explains.

What’s next for the brand? “We have several new and exciting initiatives planned for 2009. We will be bringing the brand’s fun and playful personality to life.” •

With an increase in sales of 60 percent over the last two years, TEMPTATIONS® is enticing cat owners with its ‘promise of pleasure’.

Here, Kitty!


The Snacks and Treats team (L–R):

Chuck Steinell; Lisa Campbell; Cass

Shields Noggle; Ed Uebele; Mike Palmer

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Peticulars

The Persian cat was once traded for goods and valued for its beauty and tempera-

ment. The breed is thought to have originated in Persia (modern day Iran), but there are also Egyptian hieroglyphics on pyramid walls that resemble the Persian cat.

Today, it is the most popular breed of cat and is easily recognized, highly sought after, and greatly treasured by their owners.

The Persian is known for its temperament as well as its beauty. They make wonderful family pets because they adapt so easily to their environment and their body

style usually keeps them from high jumping. This breed is the most calm and docile of all cat breeds but is also loving and affectionate, though they don’t demand your undivided attention and aren’t the pushy sort. Persians aren’t a very vocal breed and tend to be fairly quiet. They are also friendly and are usually accepting of other animals in the family.

The fact that the Persian requires a large amount of grooming hasn’t affected their popularity; however, if you adopt a Persian, you have to be willing to do daily brushing and face washing and give your cat a monthly bath.

From Persia, With LoveThe Persian cat is docile and affectionate but also beautiful, with a coat requiring lots of care.

The Himalayan, a color pointed Persian, was created by breeding the Persian to the Siamese, which made for a coat that is easier to care for. Himalayans aren’t quite as prone to matting and require less brushing, though a daily comb through is a good idea.

Some of the more extreme flat-faced cats may have some respiratory problems and are prone to more tearing than Persians with a lower nose. In general, though, the Persian is a hardy, healthy breed of cat. •


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One look at the melting brown eyes of Buster and it was love at first sight for Jason Ripper.

Jason and Buster

Peticulars

in love and had to take him home. Buster is a cock-a-poo (cocker spaniel-poodle mix) and will turn one in October.

Energizing the Household“Even though my son Jacob is nine, before we got Buster our house was fairly quiet. That little dog has completely transformed the household – he energizes the whole family. He’s the first to greet me at the door, and he never gets bored with me!” laughs

Jason. “I can’t stop giving love to my little puppy dog. He’s always looking for hugs, a lap to sit on or someone to curl into to fall asleep.”

Buster even changed the mind of Jason’s mom. “My parents were not ‘pet people’ while I was growing up, and I didn’t know what my mom would think of Buster when she came to visit,” remembers Jason. “But I had nothing to worry about. Buster has changed my mom’s point of view. While she was visiting,

A wise pet owner once said, “The good Lord in his ultimate wisdom gave us three

things to make life bearable: hope, laughter, and dogs…but the greatest of these is dogs.”

It’s a given: If you work long enough for Mars Petcare, the love of animals will rub off on you. And it doesn’t just affect those that reside in Nashville or at one of the sites around the country. This time, the dog-bug bit Jason Ripper who works in Corporate

Affairs in the Mount Olive, NJ office. “I have been with Mars for two years and support internal communications for Mars North America, which includes Mars Petcare,” said Jason. “I never had a dog growing up, but the Hackettstown, NJ associates held a pet adoption drive last fall, and it got me to thinking about getting a dog.

“My wife Gail and I were walking through the mall last holiday season and saw a little brown and white puppy in the window. We just fell

“It’s a given: if you work long enough for Mars Petcare, the love of animals will rub off on you.”

Buster followed her everywhere to play; he even wanted to stay with her at night to sleep. And when she was leaving, he ran to a window on the second floor to watch my mom get in the car and leave. It was his own way of saying goodbye. Now when mom calls, she asks about her grandson first, then she asks about Buster. She eventually gets around to asking about me!” says Jason.

Buster has even won over the neighborhood children. “The little kids in the neighborhood will come over, knock on the door and ask if Buster can come out and play. He has quite the fan club,” comments Jason. “I can’t believe that I haven’t had a dog before. Because of him, I’m officially a dog person. I will always have a dog.” •


Jason, Gail and Jacob celebrate Buster’s first birthday.

Account Profile


The mission at Nutro Products is to convert pet food consumers into NUTRO™ customers

by telling the NUTRO story at Pet Specialty locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Our goal is to be the best pet food demonstration team in the world,” says NUTRO National Demo Director, Margie Moss.

That ‘demonstration team’ is made up of 3,300 Pet Nutrition Specialists that do much more than hand out samples and coupons. “Our specialists mainly educate the consumer about how we are different – and better! By asking specific questions, the specialists discover what is going on with a customer’s pet, and makes recommendations based on that need. When we make a conversion, the customer understands why they are buying the product.”

Training to be DifferentPet Nutrition Specialists undergo a significant amount of training not only on the NUTRO product line, but how to tell the NUTRO story to consumers. The specialists participate in a mandatory training meeting once a month, and the company provides four full training sessions, four times a year. “We take such pride

Special Agents“

Meet the Nutro Products Pet Nutrition Specialist Team, who are busily converting customers to the brand they believe in.

Jane Berotti, Albuquerque, NM

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Account Profile

a high percentage of retired folks averaging 50-60 years old. We also have a number of stay-at-home moms and dads. We find most of our specialists through referrals and the NUTRO website,” says Margie.

Because of the growth of national retailers, the NUTRO demo force continues to grow. “When I started

in our training; it’s what makes us different,” says Margie.

“We want a specialist to feel confident in their presentation so we provide scripts for the specialists to follow. It’s easy to remember and helps the specialist to identify the needs of pet owners. Eventually, with experience, it becomes second nature to tell the NUTRO story and go through the key points in a presentation such as ‘feed less, eat less, poop less’ as well as reminding the customer that Nutro Products offers a 100 percent money back guarantee.

“Once a food is identified, we then talk to the customer about treats, and now – because of the addition of GREENIES® – our demo team is responsible for discussing oral care as well. It’s been fun to include GREENIES in our conversations. We are able to heighten the awareness of oral care and promote the number one product on the market.”

A-PEACHNot just anyone can be a Pet Nutrition Specialist. The ideal candidate has a very specific set of characteristics. “We look for specific qualities that we call ‘A-PEACH.’ This stands for assertive, personable, energy, action oriented, communications skills, and a history of hard work,” explains Margie. “Currently the average longevity of

our specialists is about 24 months which is great for part time

employment.” In addition to the characteristics, Pet Nutrition Specialists tend to meet a certain profile.

“Specialists are pet lovers and someone

who feeds NUTRO. We have

“We take such pride in our training; it’s what makes us different”

Sheila Greenwood, British Columbia, Canada

Dot Buckley, Yakima, WA

What the Specialists Say“My husband Brian launched Nutro Products into Canada at the 1986 Expo and I think I’m one of the original demonstrators for the company. I always suggest to customers to read the labels of their pet’s food and be aware of what they are feeding their dog or cat. Consumers are surprised to say the least when they see by-products and preservatives listed in a food. Over the years, I have seen sick pets become healthy just because of a change in diet. I believe in NUTRO foods so much and I would never do this type of work for any other company.”Sheila Greenwood, Pet Nutrition Specialist since 1987

“I celebrated my ninth year with Nutro Products this month and it feels like a dream. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long! NUTRO sells itself. I enjoy telling the story and helping customers and their dogs.” Jane Berotti, Pet Nutrition Specialist since 1999

“I believe you have to believe in what you’re selling and I love the company. I believe in NUTRO because it’s what I feed to my three Standard Schnauzers – and they are all champions. And I love the team out here. Angela Reagan, Mark Reed, and Mary Hooks are awesome. They supply us with everything we need to do our jobs well.”Dot Buckley, Pet Nutrition Specialist since 1996

with Nutro Products as a Territory Demo Manager ten years ago there were 30 demonstrators. At that time sales reps did most of the demos, but the success of the in-store demos was undeniable. Now, in just the last three years, our demo team has gone from 2,000, to 3,300 and we add new people almost every day,” laughs Margie. •

Community


Junior Achievemnt (JA) BizTown, JA’s Elementary Capstone Program, helps young people

discover, investigate and become productive citizens in a life-size replica of a real town. The students operate the stores, bank, radio station, restaurant, newspaper, realty office, TV station, and city hall – which are all outfitted with modern office equipment and business supplies.

During the JA BizTown experience, students learn first-hand what it takes to create a business, run a newspaper, supervise employees and hold elected office, as well as personally earn and manage money.

Young people are getting a taste of the responsibilities and opportunities of citizenship in a special free enterprise program sponsored by PEDIGREE®.

Prior to their daylong JA BizTown experience, teachers and adult volunteers attend on-site training workshops, and students complete a four to six week interdisciplinary in-class curriculum. Then it is off to JA BizTown, where everyone participates in a hands-on simulation that illustrates the connection between hard work and tangible success. A visit also teaches responsibility, leadership, decision-making and team building. Teachers here are given a new interdisciplinary approach to teaching social studies, math, language arts, government and economics. Parents have a chance to

experience economic education in new, exciting, and imaginative ways.

The Mars Effect“The five-year, $50,000 sponsorship of the Junior Achievement BizTown’s pet store by Mars Petcare US and the PEDIGREE brand will not only allow us to meet the needs of today’s students, but to also ensure that we will continue to provide this innovative learning opportunity that is so instrumental in preparing the workforce of the future,” says Angel May, Mars Petcare US Community Affairs Manager. •

BizTown Gets Busy

PEDIGREE and HEB grocery stores recently partnered up to co-host an adoption drive event

with Animal Friends Humane Society (San Antonio, TX) as an initiative to help shelter dogs in the community find loving homes and to support

the newly-established PEDIGREE Foundation.

The event, sponsored by PEDIGREE and HEB, was the culmination of a special in-store co-marketing program that raised $14,000 for local shelters throughout

the region. Among the local shelters receiving donations were: San Antonio – Animal Friends Humane Society Houston – Houston Humane Society Austin – PAWS of Austin Corpus Christi – PALS Animal Shelter •

PEDIGREE®, HEB and the Animal Friends Humane Society in San Antonio

have joined forces to find homes for abandoned dogs.

Heart of Texas

The PEDIGREE Dogstore in BizTown

(L–R) Associates Juan Rodriguez and Sandy Hartley, the Animal Friends Humane Society’s Cheryl Wildenstein, HEB’s Scott Prey and Debra Godoy, and associate Hector Cordero

Community

Pet Pawgeant

The Lebanon, TN site, which produces a number of NUTRO® products, recently

held its own ‘Pawgeant’ featuring the pets and critters of the associates.

“There were three categories: dogs, cats and ‘other’. The winner of the ‘other’ category was a pet goat! It was great fun,” says Site Administrator, Lisa Pierce.

Over 50 photo entries of associates’ beloved companions and unusual pets were brought in for all to see. Everyone had the opportunity to vote for their favorite in each category.

The Lebanon, TN, site went wild when it held a ‘Pawgeant’ to celebrate the weird and wonderful pets close their hearts.

Winning PetsThe Distribution Department walked away with first place ribbons in all three categories.

Sammy White and his American Bulldog Samson took first place in the dog category. Jason Montgomery won first place in the cat category with Gracie, a Persian, and James Rickman overwhelmingly took first place in the ‘other’ pet category with ‘Goat.’ •

Spring a Pet FundraiserBoosting the bottom line for the PETCO Foundation.

A check for $50,000 was presented to the PETCO Foundation from Mars

Petcare and the PEDIGREE® brand in support of the Foundation’s 2008 ‘Spring A Pet’ Campaign.

Earlier this year, PETCO teams across the country collected donations on behalf of local animal shelters with thousands of pet parents giving to the cause. Mars Petcare donated $1 for every purchase of PEDIGREE products of $10 or more.

The company’s contribution brought the campaign’s total to $1.95 million, with all donations

going to local animal shelters. “All of the money raised in our stores during the Spring A Pet fundraiser went straight to the PETCO Foundation this year because the PEDIGREE brand covered the costs of the signage to promote the campaign, saving the foundation $35,000,” says VP DMM Dog Food Consumables Rick Rockhill, who

accepted the check on behalf of the PETCO Foundation.

“More than four million animals are surrendered to shelters each year, and with the continued economic climate, we are seeing the number of dogs brought into shelters increase,” says Harvey Millar, Mars Petcare National Sales Director. “We are determined to reduce that trend.”•


Site Profile


Site Profile

stable, comfortable and outgoing in environments which are new to the dog. Police dogs rarely work at home and must perform in places that are new to them and their handlers. Confidence in new environments is shown in dogs of all ages, so puppies can be evaluated for this trait. Dogs used for police work must also show good ‘prey’ or ‘hunting’ drive. This is expressed in a dog’s desire to chase moving objects, seek out hidden objects and carry objects. This drive is essential to all scent work and off-lead apprehension work.

Dogs of any age which will chase and persistently search for objects in a new, adverse environment (like a slippery floor or climbing over unstable footing) make the best candidates for detector or other scent work.

If a puppy shows confidence and stability in all sorts of environments, good prey drive and some indications that it has defense drive, it will probably make a good K-9 officer.

The size, color and overall looks of the dog are much less important that its temperament and ability to function. •

We financially supported the first K-9 officer in our area in May 1999.

That officer was a part of the Coles County Sheriff’s Department for many years and has since retired,” says Susie Butler, site services for

the Mattoon site. “In May of 2001 we

supported the Mattoon Police Department by purchasing ‘Jax’, who is still active today. Most recently, the site supported a black German Shepherd named Goro. Goro started with the police department in August and is still going through training.”

In total, the Mattoon site supports 15 K-9 units within a 100 mile radius of the site. “Although we have helped financially with three dogs, we provide food for all the K-9 units around central Illinois. With today’s cutbacks, all officers are very appreciative of our generous food donations,” explains Susie. “And when the dog trials are within close proximity of us, we take several pallets of food, snacks and treats to help support the officers that protect us on a daily basis.

“Also, the site actually has an agility course and perpetrator search boxes for training. Several area officers and their

four-legged partners use our facility for practice on a regular basis.”

Regional CompetitionsBecause of the on-site course, the site has played host for one of the regional competitions held by the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA). “Many of the dogs that we sponsor have won prestigious awards,” comments Susie. “In fact, K-9 Officer Jax and his partner Officer Ron Bateman of the Mattoon Police Department took first place at the USPCA Regional Dog Trials in May.”

According to Susie, the working K-9 is to be respected when on duty, but an off-duty dog is just as playful as any

other family dog. “These dogs live and work with their handlers. The bond between dog and their human partner is extremely strong,” said Susie. “When a K-9 officer retires, he stays with his handler for the rest of his life.”

Suitable K-9 OfficersAny dog used for patrol or detection purposes must be

K-9 CapersFor nearly ten years the Mattoon, IL site has been supporting the U.S. Police Canine Association by providing food and training facilities.

Associates load up a trailer of product for the USPCA.

(L–R) Officer Ron Bateman, Jax, Susie Butler, Officer Ryan

Hurst and Goro

“


Health & Wellbeing

These physical signs of some of the most common forms of

cancer have been compiled from a number of sources including the American Cancer Society and Cancer Awareness, to help the wellbeing and health of the Mars associates. If you or a loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms, please consult your physician.

1 Losing weight at a rapid rate (among people not being on a

diet), gasses, discomfort, digestive disorders, anorexia, recurring diarrhea and constipation are the symptoms occurring most frequently in cases of lung, stomach, kidney and large intestine cancer.

2 Pain of unknown cause such as long-lasting stomach aches can be

the symptom of large intestine cancer, lumbago can be the sign of kidney cancer, and pain in the chest can result from lung cancer. Bone aches can be caused by metastasis.

3 Long-lasting hoarseness (over three weeks), persistent cough or change

of its character can be caused by lung or larynx cancer.

4 Change in color of moles and warts, ulceration and itching,

ulceration of open wounds, burns and scalds can be the signs of skin cancer.

5 Excessive production of urine, backlog of urine, painful urinating,

slow, time-consuming flow of urine, lumbago as well as backache can be the signs of prostate cancer.

6 Pain, vertigo, nausea, sight

distortions (over sensitized sight, astigmatism), hearing impediment, upset balance and mental disorders can result from brain cancer.

7 Swallowing difficulties can be a symptom of throat, larynx,

esophagus and even stomach cancer.

8 Feeling of fullness, aches and digestive disorders may be due

to stomach cancer and other kinds of intestinal cancers. Blood in feces, black feces, alternating diarrhea and constipation, mucus in feces, narrow (pencil-like) feces are also symptoms of intestinal cancer, especially of the large intestine and rectum.

9 Blood in urine (without the symptoms of urinary tract

inflammation), compulsive urination, and difficulties in urination can accompany a urinary tract cancer.

10 Improper bleeding from the genital tracks, pink or dark-

red vaginal discharges, hypogastria and aching lower limbs can

be the signs of vagina, uterine cervix and uterus cancer.

12 Breast lump,

ulceration, retraction of the nipple, asymmetrical

nipples, change of size

or the shape of a nipple, its swelling

and the marks around it, enlargement of lymphatic

glands in the armpit, extension of veins in the breast skin, ulceration of breast skin, shoulder swelling, flat efflorescence (in case of advanced inflammation nipple cancer) – are often symptoms of breast cancer.

13 Pain and pressure in the upper right part of the

stomach, tiredness, anorexia, and at a further stage of the disease a palpable tumor in the upper right part of stomach, inclination to jaundice and bleeding can be the signs of liver cancer. •

Don’t ignore the signs: early detection of cancer can save your life.

Are you Reading the Signals?

The Mars HealthTracks Cancer Program By addressing the full spectrum of oncology HealthTracks offers a confidential, telephonic support program that assists in screening and early detection, supports participants undergoing active treatment and provides additional services for participants who have triumphed over the illness or who are living with a terminal disease.

Upon enrollment in the HealthTracks cancer program, each participant is assigned to a care manager that will be available to him or her via a toll free number. An on-call care manager is also accessible to participants 24/7. The HealthTracks care managers are specialized oncology nurses with an average of 13 years of experience. They are knowledgeable in all cancer treatment settings including home health, hospice, hospital-surgical care, and medical oncology and radiation practices.

Call 866.588.1824, option 1, option 3 to enroll.

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