From butcher to builder to canine snack maker

A Mullingar man who became a victim of the construction industry collapse in 2008 is set to break into the Scandinavian market with his healthy beef snacks for dogs.

After losing his job as a welder and fabricator, Leonard Greene, 39, decided to turn his passion for dogs into a new business making nutritional treats for dogs.

Before becoming involved in construction, Mr Greene had been a master butcher. He put these skills to use when he became redundant and started making 100% Irish beef treats for dogs that he called MeatSnax. He also set up a pet brand, Pure, in Dec 2010.

Mr Greene now operates a factory in Multyfarnham in Westmeath, which is licensed by the Department of Agriculture.

He has distribution deals in place with AgriHealth, which distributes to veterinary clinics, and with Winning Ways, which distributes to large stores such as Pet World and Woodies DIY.

He hopes these deals will lead to the employment of three to four staff members in the Westmeath area.

The former construction worker now plans to break into the Swedish and Norwegian markets over the next 12 months, and has also received interest from distributors in Israel and Spain.

He also hopes to sell the Pure MeatSnax brand product directly to pet owners through puremeatsnax.ie. The seven-treat pack retails for €2.99 and is suitable for all breeds.

A lifelong dog lover, Mr Greene said he has tesed the treats on his own pets, a 2-year-old black labrador named Sam and two labrador puppies, Cyndi and Ziggy.

“I grew up on a family farm, surrounded by pets and animals so I’ve always been very interested in animal health,” he said. “I saw that there was a gap in the market for an Irish-made pet treat which would have more nutritional benefits than other treats on sale.

“Having worked in the meat industry for a decade, I spent the next 10 years working in the engineering world, as a welder and fabricator.

“Then, when I lost my job during the collapse of the construction industry, I saw my chance to put all my skills together and to turn my passion for canine health into a new business venture.”

Mr Greene said that, with an estimated 27% of households in the EU owning at least one dog, there are no shortage of households to which the snacks would appeal.

“There’s an estimated 60m dogs in the EU alone and, as owners know, a dog’s diet is critical to its overall health and well-being,” he said.

“We’re setting out to make more nutritionally beneficial treats for dogs right here in Ireland, ready to export them to dog lovers around the globe.”