While Purina paid for all Travel Expenses for my daughter, Brittany’s, #MeetPurina trip, we were not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Today, she shares with us her thoughts and impressions.
Recently, I had the chance to visit the Purina Headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. St. Louis has long been my favorite city, and Purina is part of St. Louis’s history, having been in business for over 100 years! Purina had a full itinerary for us, visiting Purina Farms, attending information sessions about Purina’s brand and what they stand for, lunch in their test kitchen…but I have to admit, I was most excited about finally seeing what was inside Purina Tower. I had driven by that building hundreds of times when I lived in St. Louis- it’s a landmark.
During our time at Purina, I learned a lot about the company, the brand, and the people who work there. Here are a few of the highlights:
1.Purina cares about pets.
They’re a pet food company, so this makes sense, right? Well, let me tell you: Purina goes above and beyond as a company to show their love of pets. From working with rescue dogs at Purina Farms for the amazing dog shows such as “Diving Dog” (A sport developed at Purina!) to the pet-friendly culture at the office (there’s a dog park at the main campus!), everyone at Purina really loves animals. In fact, most of them have their own pets. While we were at Purina, we got to take part in Purina’s attempt to set the world record for “Most Pets at Work.” Almost everyone at Purina seemed to have a pet that they had brought. From Chihuahuas to sugar gliders to Siberian cats, Purina’s people had them all!
2. Purina knows food.
When Purina joined Nestle in 2001, it seemed like a perfect match. Nestle knows human food, and Purina knows pet food. At one point, we got to watch someone examine different types of pet food to make sure it was all up to quality standards. At that point, we were informed that all of Purina’s food could, technically, be eaten by people: we just wouldn’t enjoy the flavor very much. We also learned that Purina is on the cutting edge of pet food research! For example, they’ve recently introduced “Bright Minds Pro Plan” pet food, which includes a medium chain triglyceride to help reduce senility in senior dogs. We got to tour a research lab at Purina and watch some of the pet scientists work on developing new pet foods and pet products- like pet probiotics! We also got to try a meal in the test kitchen, where Chef Amanda creates human food with amazing flavor combinations.
3.Purina gives back.
While we were at Purina, we got to hear about a dog park in St. Louis that Purina had recently helped renovate. An employee saw the dog park thought it could use some help, so they brought the idea to Purina PR. Purina rebuilt the dog park, and it reopened better than ever before. But Purina does more than that! They also give to charities, offer Diving Dog classes to the community for free out at Purina Farms, and allow free use of the field at Purina Farms for smaller animal shows that can’t afford to rent the show building. While we were at Purina, we were able to listen to a presentation about Purina’s commitment to shelter animals, see how far the animal adoption website Petfinder has come since being acquired by Purina, and even make our own blankets for shelter animals.
4. Purina cares about its consumers.
Why wouldn’t they? Many of their consumers are also employees- and their employees are dedicated. I was surprised to find out how long many people had been working there, and how excited they still were about what Purina does. From how open everyone was while we toured Purina, to how well Purina responds to customer concerns and questions on social media, I got the distinct impression that Purina was a company with nothing to hide.
Although we used Purina products for years, I had never thought too much about the company behind the products. Now, I’m excited to share Purina products for more reasons than just because our pets love them!
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What a cool event! Purina is such an awesome company!
Sounds like so much of fun. Looks like a good opportunity to learn about the products. I don’t have pets, but will definitely share this post with my friends. Thanks for the information.
I am glad to hear that Purina gives back, like most, I would prefer to support a brand that is actively doing something to give back! 🙂
What an amazing opportunity! We feed our cats Purina.
My sister feeds her two little dogs Purina dog food. The wet Beneful is a great treat for them.
I always buy my dogs Purina dog food.
I love when companies give you a behind the scenes look. Good to know that they listen to their consumers!
It’s so cool when you get an insider’s look to a brand or company that you use. I love meeting the people behind the scenes, the emails, the ideas. It’s even more important when it’s connected to something you care about deeply, like your pup’s health!
I always love hearing the “behind the scenes: of what companies are all about and what they do for the community they are based in. It is wonderful that they spruced up the dog bark. If your employees are happy, that says a lot.
I love getting to know the brands we love! It’s great that they give back that makes me love brands more!
I had no idea about any of this. I hadn’t really heard too much about Purina in the past, so I’m really happy to see all this. What a wonderful company!
Purina has been the family’s choice for our furry little dog. It provides him all the nutrients he needs to grow healthy and active. I would never even think of giving our dog anything else.
When the employees who have been there a long time are still excited, it’s definitely a good sign that it’s a great company to work for… I remember my grandparents getting Purina for their dogs, and that was a loooooooooong time ago. Def. a high quality co., for it to be around and thriving for so long.
It makes me feel good knowing the companies I support care. It sounds like Purina is doing great things!
What a fantastic experience! I’d love to visit Purina! I am all about the animals, and this makes me miss my dogs 🙁
We are such big fans of Purina. We went to a dog show and met some of their employees there, they were so great in giving tips for care of your animals. We have 4 dogs and 2 cats, all of them eat Purina.
It is all about our cute fur babies. I will have to get purina dog food
It’s nice to see that one company cares so much about our furry friends! We need to know we can trust them with the nutrition of our pets!
What a great experience! I always have thought of Purina as a quality pet food brand. It’s great to get the back story and know they truly care.
Wow a 100 years! That I did not know. I do know that our dog loves his Beneful Incredibites and so do we: the are 100% wholesome and balanced!
I love when companies do things like this. It looks like they are a pretty great company.
I would love to attend a event like this for bloggers to do reviews on a great product just not dog food though because I have fish. Looks like you really enjoyed yourself and got to learn more about what seems to be a great brand.
We are in the process of switching our dog’s food to a Purina variety so it is great to get the inside scoop on the brand itself. I always appreciate a company that cares and strives to give back!
I haven’t used Purina in years but I might try them out again.
I have heard mixed feelings about Purina, but growing up that is what our pets ate and I feed my dog Purina without any complaints. She is healthy as can be! I am glad you were able to experience this brand and learn more behind the name!
How fun for you!! Purina is a trusted name that has been around for a long time. They must be doing something right.
I love hearing about the company behind the product. I love learning all the in’s and out’s that go into making what we feed our animals. What a great experience.
Sounds like you had a great time. I’m a big animal lover, so I would really enjoy the behind the scenes tour.
Having some face time with employees of the company is always nice! I know a lot of pet owners who use this brand.
What a great experience and opportunity to learn about the product and brand up close. I bet it was very informative.
This looks like such a fun event to check out. Love my pets!
What a neat event to attend. I don’t have pets, but if I did I would feed them Purina.
I used to buy Purina when my furry pet was still alive. How nice of them to give back and help renovate a dog park.
Great to see these large companies giving back. I’ve always heard Purina is the best.
How fun! I’d LOVE to have a dog for the family, but our son has horrendous allergies. We’re currently research hypoallergenic dogs in the hopes that we can finally have a furry family member.
This looks like it was so much fun! I’m a huge dog lover, so I would have loved to have been there.
We buy purina cat food. Great to hear that they give back.
I love companies that give back. I always try to support them when I can.
What a cool experience. My dog only eats Purina food 🙂