COMPANY BACKGROUND

Purr-Fect Growlings is a pet and pet-related souvenir company located in Los Angeles. It provides products to customers (general consumers), gift shops frequented by tourists and corporations seeking promotional items. The company focuses on selling worldwide to tourists who purchase souvenirs for their pets to commemorate the places they have visited.

Purr-Fect Growlings began designing and marketing pet-related souvenir gifts in 1987 with a California-shaped dog biscuit. Today the company is focused on providing a line of souvenir items to fulfill the needs of pet lovers and supporters worldwide.

Suzanne Simmons, founder

Suzanne Simmons was reared in a family catering business in Ohio and enjoyed that industry; however she started to eye other business avenues while teaching in a California elementary school.  After pet sitting for a friend’s two cats Suzanne discovered a niche she decided to fulfill. 

The friend, an airline employee, would travel across country to Boston or New York and return with three or four cans of cat food for her pets. This seemed odd to Suzanne who thought that the canned cat food could be bought at the local grocery. 

The friend explained that she felt guilty having to leave her cats and this was a way to relieve the guilt.  After thinking about this scenario, Suzanne thought that she would bring back something for the dog that she had as a pet if she could find a gift during her travels.  Unfortunately there were none or very very few pet souvenirs available.

Wondering if this would be a feasible business, Suzanne conducted a survey at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport), The Farmer’s Market, a veterinarian shop, pet shop, and shopping mall. Well, to her delight the idea was feasible. Many people interviewed expressed the desire to purchase gifts for their pets or friend’s pets while on vacation. 

With this information, Suzanne attended The Entrepreneur Program at the University of Southern California’s (USC) to position herself for a great business.  She thought for sometime on a name and decided on Purr-Fect Growlings as it spoke of cats and dogs.  The company was established in 1987 as a sole-proprietorship.  The initial products were doggie biscuits shaped like California and a California shaped catnip toy.  All the products were outsourced because it was easier.  Eventually the company produced a heart shaped biscuit, then a doggie bandanna, and doggie t-shirts. 

So that the company can have personalities connected with it Suzanne decided on packaging that features a dog named “Woodmere” and a cat named “Holly”.  After attending the University of California at Los Angeles(UCLA) Management Development for Entrepreneurs in 2000, Suzanne incorporated the company in 2001. 

The company then became Purr-Fect Growlings, Inc.

Board of Directors

Rosa Hill, community philanthropist, board member of Broadway Federal National Bank, former board member of Bennett College, Greensboro, NC

Eric Howe, Religious Science Practitioner, civil engineer

Melvin M. Moore, PhD., clinical psychologist, executive director of Secure Transitions, Inc. (a Foster Family Treatment Agency)

Suzanne Simmons, founder of Purr-Fect Growlings, Inc., educator, securities broker, proposal writer, consultant, community activist