Abbottstown, Adams County pet food distributor and manufacturer Smyser Concern recently completed construction of $5 million facility that consolidates warehousing, manufacturing, offices and operations for its three business lines, aided by a $2 million low-interest SBA 504 loan facilitated by Adams Economic Alliance.
The brand-new facility, located at 300 Pleasant Street, Abbottstown, brings all operations for the company’s three brands under one roof for the first time in its 32-year history. These brands include Affordable Pet Supply, a distributor of pet food and supplies; K9 Granola Factory, which Smyser Concern founded and grew into a nationwide distributed brand of dog treats, including an in-house custom bakery; and White Dog Bone Co, which began as a vendor at AKC shows and now is a prominent online retailer.
“We applaud and congratulate Smyser Concern for realizing their dream and creating this beautiful new facility to support their thriving family-based business,” said Robin Fitzpatrick, Alliance President. “Smyser Concern is benefitting from Adams County’s excellent location, as they distribute pet supplies throughout the Mid-Atlantic’s major markets, as well as nationwide, on a daily basis—and we are honored that they call Adams County ‘home.’”
The SBA 504 loan, in the amount of $2,096,400, helped to fund construction of Smyser Concern’s 50,000-square foot facility, which replaces multiple warehousing locations the company was renting, as well as K9 Granola Factory’s bakery operations, which previously had to be outsourced to a facility in Illinois.
“We literally started this company from scratch, from a 4500 square-foot warehouse built at our home,” said co-owner Janie Smyser, who founded the company with her husband Chuck in 1993.
The business, which now employs 40 people, including five of the Smyser’s grown children and three of their spouses, has been riding an explosive wave of growth ever since.
“We got into the pet industry at exactly the right time and were blessed to have this phenomenal opportunity,” says Smyser. “We didn’t know we’d have this kind of exponential growth. The pet Industry is expected to do $246 billion in worldwide sales in 2025.”
As a direct result of their new warehouse, Smyser Concern just launched a fulfillment relationship with Amazon.
“We didn’t realize the resources that were available to us through this process,” Smyser said. “Our banker at M&T introduced us to the Alliance, and we are grateful for their amazing people who provided the help we needed to make this dream happen.”
M&T Bank worked in partnership with the Alliance to provide the project’s additional lending support.
“It’s a joy to work with local lending partners to administer a unique blend of state and federal loan products, customized for Adams County businesses such as Smyser Concern. Their SBA 504 loan not only financed their beautiful new facility, but it also sets them up for future growth and success,” said Kaycee Kemper, Alliance Vice President.
Kemper encourages Adams County businesses of all sizes and industries to reach out to learn more about state and federal financing options.
The Alliance has assisted more than 200 Adams County businesses with loans throughout its history. The Alliance’s coordination of state PIDA loans has generated a grand total in excess of $430 million in financing, supporting the creation of more than 600 jobs and the retention of more than 1,600 jobs.
ACEDC is certified annually by DCED in order to process and administer loan and grant programs for Adams County’s businesses including those in the agricultural sector. Kemper can be reached at the Alliance at 717-334-0042, ext. 102.
About the Alliance
The Alliance’s mission is to facilitate the future of Adams County through economic opportunities, productive partnerships and community-focused strategies. The Alliance’s vision is to cast the vision and lead the implementation of diverse and responsible economic growth to improve everyone’s quality of life in Adams County.
The Alliance’s value proposition explains the organization’s full mix of benefits and economic value to Adams County: Through the Alliance’s unique ability to access resources to fuel economic growth, its connection to bring stakeholders together, and solution-oriented approach, the Alliance delivers value to its stakeholders by connecting businesses with resources, providing advocacy on behalf of Adams County, sharing information across the county, and helping to attract, retain, and grow business in Adams County.
