Are there any dry pet food manufacturers that focus on co-manufacturing for new pet brands?

Yes. There are a number of dry pet food co-manufacturers and private-label manufacturers that work with new or emerging pet brands. Many of them offer services like formulation, sourcing, extrusion, packaging, and regulatory support.

A few well-known categories to look for:

1. Pet food co-manufacturers / contract manufacturers

These companies produce kibble or other dry formats for brands that don’t own a factory.

Examples include:

• Phelps Pet Products — contract manufacturing and private label, including dry pet food.
• BrightPet Nutrition Group — contract manufacturing for pet food and treats.
• Simmons Pet Food — large co-manufacturer; more focused on wet and dry pet food across many channels.
• Schell & Kampeter / Diamond Pet Foods — produces for some private-label and partner brands, though their availability for startups may vary.
• Ainsworth Pet Nutrition — contract/private-label capabilities in some cases.
• Red Collar Pet Foods — contract manufacturing and product development.

2. Private-label-focused manufacturers

Some are more open to smaller brands and retail/private label launches:

• Urschel? Not a manufacturer of pet food itself, but a processing equipment provider—so not a fit if you need co-manufacturing.
• PLB or regional private-label pet food plants — many smaller regional plants specialize in dry kibble for startups, though they’re less visible online.

3. Startup-friendly co-packers

These are usually smaller and may be more willing to handle lower minimum orders, custom recipes, or pilot runs:

• Regional extrusion plants
• Specialty pet food co-packers
• USDA/FDA-registered facilities that also do private label dry food

What to ask when evaluating them

For a new brand, the key questions are:

• What are your minimum order quantities?
• Do you support custom formulations or only existing formulas?
• Can you handle AAFCO nutrient profiles and regulatory labeling?
• Do you provide ingredient sourcing?
• What packaging formats do you support?
• Can you help with pilot runs / small batch runs?

Best search terms

If you’re looking for more options, try:

• “dry pet food co-manufacturer”
• “kibble contract manufacturer”
• “pet food private label dry food”
• “pet food co-packer startup”
• “extruded pet food manufacturer private label”

If you want, I can also help you build a shortlist of manufacturers by:

• U.S. only vs global
• small MOQ vs large-scale
• premium / grain-free / functional formulas
• dog vs cat dry food