Clay Harvey's business has gone to the dogs, and he's loving every minute of it. Harvey and his mom, Kathy, own Bluegrass Barkery. They make nutritious food and treats for dogs, especially those with allergies and health problems.
A native of Shreveport, La., Harvey was studying business at LSU's campus in his hometown when his parents moved to Lexington six years ago. He relocated to the Bluegrass in 2006, after Hurricane Katrina. The north-
west part of the state wasn't affected directly by the devastation, but the job market was. College students had little opportunity for employment with the influx of experienced people moving up from New Orleans. "I thought I would be in Shreveport my whole life," he said. "But I fell in love with Lexington. There's an overwhelming sense of local pride here."
A few years ago, his parents' dog was not a healthy puppy, so Harvey studied up on alternative foods. With a new diet, the pooch was soon off its cortisone shots and was playful and happy. Harvey did some business math: family history of entrepreneurship, plus collegiate business courses, plus love of dogs, plus tons of research in canine nutrition, plus a market for people paying closer attention to what they're feeding their pets equaled a company making nutritious food for dogs.
"It clicked," he said. "Dogs are a huge part of our life." He and his fiancÈe, Karen Thames, have two chocolate Labs.
In August 2006, a property became available on Clay Avenue. Harvey and his mom bought it and opened For the Love of Dogs a week before Thanksgiving. They started out licensing recipes and had an agreement with a company in Indianapolis. Kathy Harvey did most of the cooking and baking, using human-grade ingredients - but no corn, wheat or soy, as they are the most common food allergens for dogs (and the most commonly used ingredients in commercial kibble.)
"We got creative and used barley and oat flour, tapioca and brown rice," said Clay Harvey. "It's totally gluten-free." The bacon they cook is nitrate- and nitrite-free; their chicken stock is organic and contains no onions.
"Pets rely on you. You dictate everything in their diet," said Harvey. "I'm not the perfect example of health, but my dogs are." To taste-test new recipes, the Harveys rely on their own dogs and those of their customers. "Our first recipes were a little bland," he said. "Now the flavors are more intense, and dogs love it." One of the latest hits is a bone with a banana split flavor.
The Harveys joined Commerce Lexington when they opened the store. They applied for the 2007 Independent Professional of the Year award and were selected as one of the three finalists. Later that year, they changed the name of the business to Bluegrass Barkery and added retail sales. They're a member of the Kentucky Proud program. In addition to homemade bakery items and 22 flavors of bones, the store carries 10 lines of dog food, organic flea spray, harnesses, collars and all manner of accessories. There's also a cat corner because a lot of dog owners also have cats.
Harvey is in charge of the day-to-day business. His mother cooks and bakes every day and his sister, Kari, bakes and works in sales. His dad, Jim, is the company's CPA. A UK student works full-time in summer and part-time during the school year.
The pet industry is pretty much recession-proof. "I'm not selling as many $200 dog beds as six months ago," said Harvey, "but people are not cutting back on food and treats for their dogs."
Specialty cakes are a favorite with customers. The Barkery recently created a three-tiered doggie cake for a wedding for the four-legged guests to enjoy. Instead of chocolate, carob was the main ingredient. Cocoa is toxic to dogs, as are grapes, raisins and onions. "Garlic is fantastic for dogs," said Harvey. "It's a natural flea and tick repellent and good for the digestive tract; just not in huge quantities." He says it would take about 100 cloves in one consumption for a 60-pound dog to have a bad reaction to garlic.
Bluegrass Barkery hosts or sponsors community events throughout the year. They've had an Easter egg hunt, doggie Derby party, donuts with dad, and on Saturday, July 26, it will be Bark for the Cure. Clay Avenue will be blocked off from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for live music, contests, a silent auction and special doggie treats for sale. Proceeds will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the National Canine Cancer Foundation. "We're really fortunate that the community responded," said Harvey of his relatively new business. "In my short life, this is the most rewarding thing I've ever done."
To learn more about Bluegrass Barkery, visit www.BluegrassBarkery.com.
Kathie Stamps is the co-founder of www.ISBO.biz, an online directory of independent/small business owners. Contact her at kstamps@isbo.biz.