Washington-based Wet Noses Natural Dog Treat Company is positioning itself as a turnkey private label and co-manufacturing partner for retailers and pet brands at the PLMA 2026 Private Label Trade Show, running November 15–17 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago. The Monroe, Wash. manufacturer — operating for more than 28 years — will use Booth #1369 to market human-grade dog treats, cat treats and oven-baked dog food production capabilities to retail buyers and sourcing teams.
The appearance reflects a broader strategic shift at the company, which has evolved from a consumer-facing dog treat brand into a contract manufacturing platform serving branded, private label and co-manufacturing accounts across multiple pet food and treat segments. The move aligns with rising retailer appetite for differentiated own-brand pet offerings at a time when premium and "better-for-you" positioning has become the dominant growth driver in the pet food aisle.
Manufacturing Credentials
Wet Noses' facility in Monroe, Washington holds WSDA licensure, SQF certification, HACCP compliance and FDA registration — a credential stack increasingly required by major retail chains evaluating private label suppliers. The company frames human-grade not merely as an ingredient claim but as an end-to-end production standard governing sourcing, handling, manufacturing and finished-product specifications.
"Our pets are family, and what we feed them matters," said Roel Cruz, VP of Sales at Wet Noses. "At PLMA, we're excited to bring that same passion and manufacturing expertise to retailers and brands looking to give pet parents more of what they're asking for — real food, trusted quality and products that stand out in the pet aisle."
Three-Category Platform
The company is presenting three core private label categories at the show. Human-grade dog treats span soft-baked and crunchy formats with options for customized recipes, shapes and portion sizes. Oven-baked dog food represents a newer manufacturing capability, positioning Wet Noses to serve the expanding complete-and-balanced segment beyond the treat occasion. The third category is Purrks, a cat treat line launched in 2026 in Chicken Crunchies, Beef Crunchies and Catnip Crunchies SKUs, extending the company's human-grade model into the fast-growing cat food segment.
The PLMA platform is a natural fit for Wet Noses' B2B pivot. Private label pet food has outpaced national-brand growth at several major grocery and mass retailers over the past two years, as consumers seek quality at accessible price points and retailers look to widen margin on owned assortments. For a manufacturer with certified facilities and a multi-decade baking track record, that dynamic represents a significant pipeline opportunity.
Retailers and brands evaluating the pet aisle's private label and supply-chain landscape will find Wet Noses competing against a small field of U.S.-based human-grade certified manufacturers — a segment still underpenetrated relative to conventional pet food contract manufacturing. The company's participation in PLMA follows broader consumer-trend momentum toward premiumization in pet food, a category that has shown resilience even during periods of broader food-at-home spending pressure.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
