Mars Winter (1)

The magazine for the Mars Petcare US associate community
WINTER 2008
WINFourTickets
toSeeHotel
forDogs
Printedonrecycledpaper
NASCARFeverATriptoTalladega
Superspeedway
RacefortheCure
AssociatesHitthe
RoadforCharity
Hotel
forDogsPEDIGREE®
ontheSilver
Screen
InMemoriam
Remembering
thosewe’ve
LovedandLost

4FromthePresident
5AboutAssociates
•Service Anniversaries •Laura
Sliwak Braves the Hudson River
•The Susan G. Komen Race for the
Cure •In Memoriam
11 Environment
•Making the Most of Unused Land
Contents
2 Mars The Associate
9
A trip for four to the
Nashville screening of
Hotel for Dogs
WIN
16
12Events
• NASCAR Day at the National Office
• A Trip to Talladega Superspeedway
14 Feature
•PEDIGREE® Hits the Big Screen in
Hotel for Dogs
16WINFourTicketsto
seeHotelforDogs
22
26

Mars The Associate 3
17Brands
•The GREENIES® Story
•A New Field Team for
WHOLEMEALS®
•The TEMPTATIONS®
‘Promise of Pleasure’
20Peticulars
• Breed Feature: the
Persian Cat •Jason Ripper
and Buster
Welcome to the Winter edition of The Associate – we hope you enjoy it.
If you would like to contribute, please send stories and ideas to
either Ben Chapman or Rebecca Dickerson at
rebecca.dickerson@effem.com or phone (615) 807-4265.
Editor: Ben Chapman
The Associate is published quarterly by Mahlab Media on
behalf of Mars Petcare US. www.mahlabmedia.com.au
22AccountProfile
•The NUTRO™ Demo Difference
24Community
•BizTown •The Animal Friends
Humane Society • Petco
25 SiteProfile
•The Lebanon Site Goes Wild
•K-9 Heroes of Mattoon
27Health&Wellbeing
•Learn to Recognize
the Signs of Cancer
R
Printed on
recycled paper
20
12 13

From the President
The Associate is a magazine for you and
your family about associates. We look for
articles about your working life and your
interests and achievements outside work.
Below are some guidelines to help get
you started.
ABOUT ASSOCIATES
This section introduces everyday
associates. We want to read about your
interests and achievements inside and
outside work. Alternatively, you can
nominate another associate.
• 300–400 words, plus photos.
EVENTS
These are stories about associate events
that take place, such as site celebrations.
We look for lots of colorful, fun pictures.  
• 200–300 words plus photos with lively
captions that capture the mood and
humor of the event.
PETICULARS
This section gives you a chance to write in
about your pets, including hints and tips
to keep pets happy and healthy.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Stories about activities and initiatives that
are related to health and fitness.
• 200–300 words.  
COMMUNITY
This section describes the involvement of
associates and the business in the
community, including sponsorships,
donations and volunteering.
FAMILY LIFE
Stories about significant achievements by
associates’ family members.
• 200–300 words.
BRANDS
Business news about product launches,
new processes, acquisitions, technology
updates and trade news with a focus on
associate involvement and a sense of fun.  
EDITING
To help make The Associate as reader-
friendly as possible, we may edit your
submissions. Please advise us if you would
like to be contacted during the editing
process.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Please note that digital photos should
be in high-resolution.
Editorial guidelines for The Associate
For editorial and photo contributions for The Associate, contact Rebecca Dickerson at (615) 807-4265 or email rebecca.dickerson@effem.com
or email Ben Chapman at ben.chapman@effem.com
I
have been with
Mars for 10 years
now and it has been
extremely rewarding.
Over this time and
throughout each level
and function I have
always been given
the opportunity to
put my stamp on the
part of business I was
responsible for.
This has been true whether I was
an entry-level marketer or more
recently as General Manager for the
Canadian business. The opportunity
to create something new is really
what attracted me to Mars and it has
retained me over these years.
I come from an entrepreneurial
background so it was natural for
me to start my own business out of
undergraduate school.
My company focused on the
distribution and retail sales of
international newspapers and
magazines. After two years I sold
the business and was lucky enough
to travel the world for a while.
Following that, I got my MBA and
joined Procter and Gamble for 10
months. While it was a great
business, it just wasn’t the
right fit for me. One day I
got a call from Mars and I
found a place that I could
truly be my self –
an entrepreneur in a
corporate setting.
Secrets of Success
I was attracted to the role of
President of Mars Petcare because of
the sheer size of the opportunity, and
also the challenge of bringing to life
our vision of being a premier North
American petcare company.
In my view there are three key
ingredients to a successful business:
great people, great brands and great
operational processes.
The way of getting the most
from the workforce is by creating
an environment where everybody
can be their best, and where they
feel respected and supported. The
work environment should celebrate
diversity so you do not have to
check your personality at the door.
It’s about creating challenging
work assignments, proper
decision-making responsibilities
and accountability and having a
transparent vision and strategy.
One of the areas I have really
enjoyed in my career at Mars is leading
associates to a level of performance
that they never thought possible.
I always try to help associates
visualize possibilities by giving them
the right decision-making power,
tools and resources and eliminating
distractions. It’s all about creating the
right environment to allow individuals
to be their best.
Personal Life
When I’m not at work I love spending
time with my family and my great
friends. I also enjoy weightlifting,
cooking and driving my cars.
I would describe myself as
energetic, fun, exuberant, passionate
and brutally supportive, but a
competitor would probably describe
me as focused, sharp and resilient.
My laugh is probably one of
the most unique aspects of my
personality – I am fairly loud. I’m
pretty determined, too; I never
give up. I love to have fun, I am an
extremist, and I want to get every bit
of excitement from life that I can. •
BringingourVisiontoLifeMeet Luc Mongeau, Mars Petcare US’s new President.

10 years
Terry Arnold INP
Lorraine Baranello BRN
Shonda Bayan BRN
Charles Bookard ORA
Geoffrey Browne BRN
Josh Egermeier MOJ
Jimmy Ellefson MOJ
Jerry Farkas BRN
Anthony Felando BRN
Teresa Fonner KKM
Edward Gaines KKS
Salvador Garcia KKP
Gerald Gold PUE
Carol Gray BRN
Chad Helberg BRN
Hal Hipp KKS
Rob Holdheide BRN
Timothy Jennings ORA
Jon Kinder KKS
William Knisley OHW
Joy Lachowicz PAA
Omar Leon PUE
Vicente Lopez KKP
Jose Martinez CAT
Victor Martinez KKP
Jason Matsukawa KKP
Jackie McNeely OKM
Joe Meyers BRN
David Bob Molinar KKP
Henke Johnna Moore PAA
Angel Morfin CAT
Roger Moritz KKM
Jaimes Arturo Perez TXT
Kevin Poopalasingam BRN
Daryl Porter BIR
Kevin Rabinovitch BRN
Edward Reed ORA
Steven Reneau KKS
Salvador Sanchez KKP
Rudolph Schiller TXT
Jun Sison Jr. KKR
Barbara Smith INP
James Stroud ORA
Tammy Sweeney BRN
Frank Vazquez MOJ
Michael Weaver JOP
Fred Weldon BIR
Isom Williams BIR
Charles Younkin PAE
15 years
Howard Abrams KKC
Dagoberto Acosta TXT
Robert Arnold KKC
Mason Billings BIR
David Blackwell KKC
Tary Blair KKM
Randy Dutton TXT
Douglas Girton MOJ
Jimmy Harshman INP
Jimmie Jones JOP
Mark Kersey KSH
Robert Lee NSC
Dennis Mack BRN
John Montgomery TXT
Steven Poorman MOJ
Steve Roush KKC
Felisberto Santos CAT
Doug Schalk BRN
Rick Smith BRN
Stewart Townsend BRN
Robert Yniguez CAT
Lucio Yonemoto BRN
20 years
Todd Altemeier BRN
Glen Bennett MOJ
Curtis Brennfoerder OKC
Larry Clay KKC
Aaron Cross KKM
David DeLuca BRN
Michael Dininger KKC
John Fitzpatrick KSH
Kevin Heldberg MNL
Wendy Heldberg MNL
Heliodoro Hernandez SBE
Steve James KSH
Tracy Lott IAM
Larry Lowry KKM
Yusuf Nawabi VAM
Jeffrey Reynolds KKP
Dale Schneider BRN
Kathy Shaughnessy BRN
Steven Slay MOJ
David Stoolfire KKC
Norman West KKC
25 years
Gerald Bohlander SBE
Mike Bonic KKM
Alan Dill KKM
Brian Jones KKM
Catalina Moyeda KKP
Luis Munoz KKP
James Trexler PAA
30 years
Joaquin Alvarez KKP
Beals Marsha BRN
Jerry Franks BRN
Richard Hellenbrand BRN
Paul Douglas Hughes KKC
Deborah Rudolph IAM
Carlton Stephens BIR
35 years
Steven Cowgar KKC
Larry Phillips IAM
Walter O’Neal BIR
About Associates
ServiceAnniversaries2008
Due to space constraints, only anniversaries of 10 years and
above are able to be recognized in this publication.
Anniversary Profile
Dave DeLuca
engineers 20
years with
Mars Petcare
With a degree
in Chemical
Engineering from
the University of
Akron under his
hat, Dave DeLuca
landed his first
job with Mars
Petcare in 1986.
Starting out as a Project Engineer
at the Columbus, OH site, Dave has
been an integral part of the growth of
Mars Petcare.
“After Columbus, we moved to
Reno, Nevada, than on to Bolton,
Canada where I was promoted to
Engineering Manager,” says Dave.
“After a couple of years, we moved
to the Vernon, California site where
I led the engineering team, and
then I moved across the street to
the national office and held the
position of Technical Manager for
the Pet Segment.”
Dave is now the Director of
Engineering overseeing industrial,
safety and environment, and the
capital appropriations budget for
Mars Petcare and relocated to
Nashville in 2006. “At the time, my
family wasn’t happy with me. I have
three boys in high school or middle
school, and my wife wasn’t thrilled
either,” Dave laughs. “But now that
we’re here, everyone loves Nashville.
It’s a wonderful place to live. My
oldest son is a senior in high school
and part of an award-winning drum
line at Brentwood High School. As a
member of the band, he got to play
on a Brad Paisley video and perform
with Paisley on the CMA Awards. In
fact, now we go to the CMA Awards
Show every year. I can honestly say
that we’ve become fans of country
music, the songwriter community
and this city!” •

About Associates
Question: Would you swim in the
Hudson River? Answer: If you are
Regional Sales Manager Laura
Sliwak, the answer is yes!
As part of a relay team
participating in the New York City
Triathlon, Laura swam the first leg of
the marathon in the Hudson River.
“However cleaned up the Hudson is
today, it was still pretty challenging.
Everyone got stung by jellyfish –
myself included!
“I wore a sleeveless wetsuit but
was still stung, three times on my
arms and once across my face. But,
on the bright side, the Hudson has
a very quick current which all the
swimmers loved,” laughs Laura.
Water Baby
Laura has a long history with
swimming, going back to her
childhood. “I swam competitively
throughout high school and was offered
a swim scholarship at college. My first
job was as a swimming instructor and
lifeguard. This was my third triathlon,
but my first as a part of relay team.
“I met my teammates last year
during a Danskin Triathlon Training
and Event. Kathy Vita was the
Triathlon
ChallengeBraving jellyfish and a
notoriously polluted
Hudson River, Regional
Sales Manager Laura
Sliwak swam her way to
victory in the New York
City Triathlon relay.
Heart Zone head coach and Kathy
Johnson was an assistant. They
had registered for the race last
November, but the swimmer had to
drop out due her mother’s health. I
was asked to fill in.”
Besides dodging jellyfish, Laura
has great memories of the winning
day. “When I approached the end
of my swim I realized I was one of
the first of my heat to get out of the
water. Then it dawned on me that
we could actually win the relay! We
each did our part and more. When
the times were posted we were
thrilled, excited and so proud of our
accomplishment. Okay, and a bit
shocked too!” •
The First Place Relay Team (Women) of the
New York City Triathlon (L-R): Kathy Vita
(run, 10 miles), Kathy Johnson (bike, 25
miles) and Laura Sliwak (swim, one mile).

About Associates
T
he Susan G. Komen Race
for the Cure 2008 saw more
associates than ever pull on
their sneakers and take part in the
sponsored 5km run or walk. Some
were breast cancer survivors, others
honoring loved ones lost, and many
who simply believed in the cause. “In
2006, Mars had 48 associates who
ran or walked, and last year we had
114. How we’ve grown!” explains
race co-captain Stacey Sheffield.
“This year 197 associates and
their family members participated.
Together, Mars Petcare associates
raised $12,000 for the event which
raised over $1 million!”
New to the race this year was
the high profile corporate
sponsorship of Mars Petcare.
Susan Curlee, Pam Sullivan, Erin
Nota, Jared Watson and Holly
Cooper handed out over 7,000
samples to appreciative dog lovers.
“We also spread some M&M love
with the Green Lady M&M, played
by Sandella Gansheimer
and her friends,” says Stacey.
“And to top off the day, associate
Nick Pierce came in first place in
his age group.”
RacingforaCureOn a stunningly beautiful fall day, Mars Associates and their family members
joined together for the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
About the Race for the Cure
The Komen Foundation was founded by Nancy Brinker in honor of her
sister Susan Komen who died of breast cancer in 1981 at the age of 33.
In 2008, the Komen Foundation celebrates the 25th anniversary of the
Komen Race for the Cure, the largest series of 5K runs/fitness walks in the
world, with well over one million participants since 2005.
The Komen Race for the Cure Series raises significant funds and
awareness for the fight against breast cancer, celebrates breast cancer
survivorship, and honors those who have lost their battle with the disease.
A minimum of 25 percent of the net income from each domestic
affiliate race supports the Komen for the Cure Award and Research
Grant Programs, which fund groundbreaking breast cancer research,
awards and educational and scientific conferences around the world. The
remaining 75 percent of the net income from each domestic affiliate race
stays in the local community to fund breast health education and breast
cancer screening and treatment projects.
“We have to give a tremendous
thanks to Stacey Sheffield and Jenny
Taylor who co-chaired the event,”
says Community Affairs Manager
Angel May. “They did such a
great job planning for the race and
recruiting associates.” •
Race co-chair Stacey
Sheffield with Green
Lady M&M, AKA Sandella
Gansheimer.
The 197 associates who
ran won an award for
Largest Corporate Team.

About Associates
Remembering Jan Schrampf
Jennifer Schrampf had been involved
in the Komen Race for the Cure for
several years. “I have always been a
big supporter for the Race for the
Cure as I felt that someday someone
I know and loved would be affected
by breast cancer. Little did I know
how close to home it would hit.
“My mom Jan was the glue that
held everything together. My dad
traveled a lot when we were growing
up, so my mom was the central figure
in our lives. There are four children,
but she made an effort to make each
one of us feel special. Every birthday,
every holiday and just day-to-day
life was to be treasured. I had a great
relationship with my mom; she truly
was my best friend.
First Signs
“My mom had been religious about
mammograms every year for about
10 years. Every one of them had
come back clean. We did not have
a history of breast cancer in our
family, so she skipped a year. In the
end that was a bad choice as it was
during that time that she contracted
breast cancer. My mom was 63 when
she was diagnosed. She had been
having problems breathing and was
continually sick. She went to see an
allergist and when they took some
blood samples everything was out of
whack. They immediately admitted
her into a hospital and in a matter of
days diagnosed her with stage four
breast cancer. It was an aggressive,
fast growing cancer and it spread very
rapidly through her body.
“My mother had problems with
medications her entire life, just about
everything made her sick (allergy
medicine, cough medicine) and
there was hardly anything she could
take without it bothering her and
chemotherapy was no different. In
the eight weeks between the time she
was diagnosed and when she passed
away, she was back in the hospital
three times. She worked to stay
positive and was determined to beat
it, and she looked around at others
who were fighting the same battle for
inspiration. She never complained,
just tried to fight through it.
Christmas Holidays
“Her last days were difficult for us all
as she was in the hospital during the
Christmas holidays. On Christmas
Eve, she was in pain and not very
coherent, but Christmas day she was
completely lucid, comfortable and
surrounded by her family. At this
point, we did not know that her battle
was done. The day after Christmas,
she took a turn for the worse, and it
became apparent the doctors were
losing hope. On December 27, 2005
they told us at that all they could do
was make her comfortable.
“They say that people who are
dying want to say good-bye to
everyone they love and I am now a
firm believer in that. My aunt flew in
from Canada that evening. I dropped
her off at the hospital so she and my
father were with my mom. All of us
kids ran home to take showers and so
on but once my aunt arrived and said
her goodbye, my mother passed away
within the hour, peacefully.”
InMemoriamAssociates tell their stories about loved ones lost to
cancer, and remember what made them special.
Know the Facts about Cancer
• Second most costly and lethal disease in the United States
• Estimated 1.4 million new cases annually
• One in two men and one in three women will develop cancer during
their lifetime
• Annual costs estimated at $206.3 billion
• $78.2 billion in direct medical costs
• $17.9 billion in lost productivity due to illness
• $110.2 billion in lost productivity due to premature death
• In an adult working population, 50 percent of cases occur in people
under age 55
Source: American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures 2007
RacingforaCure
(L–R) Jan Schrampf,
husband Joe and
daughter Jennifer
©istockphoto.com

About Associates
Jennifer has been with Mars since
February 2007 and works as an
Internal Category Manager in support
of planners across all brands on
the Grocery/Mass Brand side of the
business. She encourages associates
to support the Komen Race for the
Cure: “Chances are that someone
you know and love will be affected
by this disease in your lifetime. This
is a beatable disease we just have to
believe and invest in research. Also, I
want to encourage all women to
get a mammogram regularly. Early
detection with the disease makes all
the difference in the world. And don't
ever skip your mammogram.”
Remembering Stan Rife
As the general
manager of Mars
Petcare’s General
Steel Fabricators,
Stan Rife was a
quiet, unassuming
man. “He never
showed a temper
or strong emotions. Stan worked
for Mars for 13 years and his steel
fabrication knowledge was highly
respected within the industry,”
recalls the acting General Manager
of General Steel, Ron Schultz.
At the age of 63, Stan was
diagnosed with colon cancer.
According to Ron, the cancer
was well advanced by the time it
was detected. “When he received
the diagnosis in December 2006,
Stan admitted that he had ignored
symptoms for several months,” said
Ron. “Experimental chemotherapy
was started immediately and
he scheduled his treatments on
Fridays so he would feel good
enough to come to work on
Monday. Each Friday, he took
treatments – one of them took
nearly eight hours to administer.
Then he’d go home with a
mechanical pump connected to an
implanted port. This continued his
treatment until Sunday afternoon
when a nurse would come to his
home and remove the pump.
“Stan fought the cancer for one and
half years. During that time he missed
very little work,” comments Ron.
“On May 14 he privately told me that
he knew the battle was over and he
had lost. That was his last day in the
office. He died on June 2, 2008.”
Stan’s Legacy
Stan’s wife Teri approached the
associates at General Steel to be
members of ‘Stan’s Soldiers’ to help
raise money for the local chapter
of the American Cancer Society.
“The site associates admired Stan’s
strength especially how he battled the
cancer and the obvious side effects of
Surviving Breast Cancer: Early Detection
There is a 97 percent five-year survival rate when breast cancer is
detected early since this can help prevent it from spreading.
Get a Mammogram
A mammogram is a specialized x-ray of the breast to help detect cancers
which cannot be detected by touch. At age 40 women should begin
getting annual mammograms by a licensed technician. t is very important
that results are compared from one year to the next, so be sure you know
where your mammogram film is being held.
Clinical Breast Exam
This is an exam by a health care professional. Women in their 20s and 30s
should have a clinical breast exam at least every three years and women
40 or older should have an exam each year.
Self-Examination
Starting at age 20 women should begin doing a self-exam. Ask your
doctor if you are not exactly sure how to do this or if you are not sure you
are doing it correctly.
Lie down and place one arm behind your head. Using your three
middle finger pads press firmly across your breast in overlapping
dime-size circular motions. Use three different levels of pressure: light,
medium, and firm. This allows you to feel the tissue close to your skin, to
feel a little deeper, and to feel the tissue closest to your chest and ribs.
If lumps in the breast and/or underarm area are detected, schedule an
appointment with your physician immediately. Also be aware of visual
changes to the breast or nipple.
Stan’s wife Teri
‘Stan’s Soldiers’

About Associates
cancer in her hip bone,” explains
Jason. “In the fall of 2006, she
had surgery to correct her hip and
remove the cancer. Following the
surgery my mom suffered some nerve
damage and reached a point that she
had no feeling in one of her legs. In
the summer of 2008, she was told
that the cancer was spreading.”
Happy Memories
A self-admitted ‘momma’s boy’, Jason
fondly recalls his mother. “My mom
introduced me as ‘this is my baby,
Jason’, even into my 20s and 30s,”
he laughs. “She always had a great
love for animals and growing up we
always had a pet. Her most recent
dog is Sandi, a yellow lab that is a
certified therapy dog. Sandi is still
providing her therapy duties since she
is there for my father every day. Mom
was a great cook and she absolutely
adored her grandchildren. She loved
to send them letters, postcards and
care packages.
“In retrospect, I am awe-struck by
her spirit and positive attitude as I
can only imagine the continuous and
intense pain that she was in, yet I
never heard or saw anything like fear
or negativity. She simply just kept
going and was determined to live life
to the fullest.
“My mom was a fighter. The
rounds of chemotherapy and
radiation took their physical toll,
chemotherapy. Everyone at General
Steel participated – approximately
45 associates were a part of Stan’s
Soldiers. There are four Mars facilities
in this area (including General Steel),
and all of the facilities got involved.”
“One of General Steel’s employees
owns a bowling alley, and he
donated the facility for a Saturday
afternoon. Associate teams were
formed and the public was invited to
an afternoon of bowling and friendly
competition. All the proceeds went
to Stan’s Soldiers,” explains Ron.
“Stan’s family and all the Soldiers set
up a booth at a local charity walk-
a-thon, and Mars donated banners
and t-shirts. The Stan’s Soldiers
booth won awards for Best Booth,
Best Rookie Booth, and the People’s
Choice,” explains Ron.
The family’s initial goal was to raise
$3,000, but Stan’s Soldiers raised
$15,000 and ranked at the top of
the list of fundraisers in the Joplin,
Missouri area.
Remembering Marti Cook
Marti Cook fought the battle with
breast cancer and won only to
succumb to liver cancer eight years
later. “My mother learned about the
breast cancer in the fall of 2000 – she
was 57,” remembers Mars Associate
Jason Cook. “In the winter of 2001
she underwent a mastectomy and then
received chemotherapy for another
two years. It seemed that the
treatments had been successful
because she had appeared to
be in remission for almost five
years. However, in 2005 cancer
was found in her liver.
“At the time, she was advised
by her doctor that she only
had six to nine months
to live. She underwent
chemotherapy again and
soon after my mother
began experiencing
intense pain in her
hip and had trouble
walking. It was
discovered that she had
a fractured hip and
but she always seemed to bounce
right back. But this past summer
when they found out the cancer was
spreading, the doctor recommended
an alternative treatment with a cycle
of oral medication. My mom started
this in mid-July but had to stop after
ten days because of the severe side
effects of vomiting, diarrhea and
mouth sores.
Last Goodbyes
“She was admitted to the hospital
on July 27 and the doctors tried to
hydrate her but she couldn’t keep
anything down. I visited mom as much
as I could and when I left her room
that Thursday evening, I kissed her
and told her good night. I remember
looking back before I left the room
and she was waving good-bye.
The next morning (August 1), my
father called me at 5:40 a.m. and
told me that I needed to come to
the hospital. When I reached the
hospital my dad told me that the
doctors had called him to say that
my mom had taken a turn for the
worse. She had passed away at 4:45
a.m. from either a stroke or blood
clot. This news was a complete
shock to the family because we
knew she wasn’t in good condition
but we had no idea that the previous
night would be the last time we
would see her alive.”
While it might have been a
difficult thing to do, the entire family
attended church together two days
later. “We are all regular church-
goers, but that Sunday it was hard
to think about going to church
because of the emotional pain we
were all going through. But my dad
remembered that my mother’s
wish and great joy was to
attend church with all four
grandchildren, so that
Sunday my wife and I and
our two children, along
with my brother’s family
attended church. Many in
the church were probably
surprised to see us (so
soon after her death), but
we proudly – and quite
emotionally – were there
in solidarity with my father
and to honor my mother.” •
RacingforaCure
Marti Cook with self-confessed
‘momma’s boy’, Jason.

benefit from the food. If vegetables are
planted than they can be made available
for the personal use of the associates.
For the plants that have cafeterias,
instead of purchasing some foods from
outside sources, the food grown on the
site can be utilized,” explains Kevin.
“Another level would be donating
the crops grown by associates to
community food banks and programs
like Feeding America (formerly
America’s Second Harvest). Another
use of the land could be to grow small
volume raw materials (such as spices)
used in that site’s products.”
Creative Growing
This initiative will encourage creativity
at the site level. “One example of land
use could be at the Snackfood sites.
Halloween is such a big season for this
side of the business, so what if the land
were used to grow pumpkins? Then the
site could throw a Halloween party at
their site for the community. Kids could
come and pick out their own pumpkin
for free. It meets the sustainability
model: environmental (organic),
economic (free pumpkins) and social
(for the community).” •
Environment
T
alk about “environmental
footprint!” If you include all
Mars US (Pet, Snack, Food)
properties we occupy 70 million
square feet of land with only 10
percent of that covered by a building.
Additionally, an estimated 15-25
million square feet is paved for parking
or roads, leaving 40-50 million square
feet of undeveloped land.
“The bottom line is that there is
probably a square mile of land that
we own and aren’t using. For the most
part this land is grass that we are
maintaining with fertilizer, sprinkler
systems, and even mowing. Because
it requires this type of upkeep, it
suggests that the grass that has been
planted is not well adapted to the
local eco-system,” says Mars Director
of Sustainability Kevin Rabinovitch.
“Conventional thinking is to use
native plants to the area that will grow
without as much maintenance. This
usually means native grasses
and wildflowers.”
A Culture of Sustainability
“Two of the still-developing
sustainability goals for Mars sites will
be enhancing the local ecosystem and
community, and establishing a culture
of sustainability for our business,”
explains Kevin. “Developing
initiatives for this un-used land offers
opportunities to advance both these
goals. The original inspiration for
this actually came from starting a
vegetable garden at home and seeing
how much my kids learned about
where food comes from.”
To get beyond a home garden,
Kevin approached the experts at Seeds
of Change, one of the Mars Foods
businesses whose mission is to preserve
biodiversity and promote the use of
sustainable organic agriculture. “I
said to them: ‘We have this land and
I bet you guys can tell me something
better to do with it’,” he remembers.
“We could plant a prairie grass which
is good for the local environment but
doesn’t do anything on the people side
of sustainability. So let’s grow a food
crop that is native to a specific site’s
region. Now we’ve accomplished the
environmental, economic and social
goals because we are providing food.”
“Once a food crop is in place, we
have several places we can go with it.
First, the associates themselves can
Greensp ceUnused land at Mars US is ripe for eco-development – all it needs is a bit of
imagination, says Kevin Rabinovitch, Mars Global Sustainability Director.
Calling all Greenthumbs!
In order for the alternative land
use initiative to be successful,
associates will be needed at
each site to take on a leadership
role. If you are an avid gardener
or farmer and interested in
discussing an alternative land
use project for your site, drop an
email to kevin.rabinovitch@effem.
com so we can develop some
pilot projects for next spring.
©istockphoto.com

Events
I
n keeping with the spirit of the
Amp Energy 500 Sprint Cup
Series race in Talladega, AL, a
special NASCAR Day was held at
the Mars Petcare National Office in
Franklin, TN.
This fun-filled day in October
celebrated the success of the number
18 PEDIGREE® Toyota Camry and
our favorite NASCAR driver,
Kyle Busch. Kyle even made an
appearance, answering associates’
questions and signing autographs.
The number 18 team owner
Coach Gibbs and pit crew were on
hand as well, along with a NASCAR
simulator, PEDIGREE show car,
tire changing experience and
remote control car track to keep
associates entertained.
A merchandise trailer also offered
20 percent discounts for associates
with an eye for a bargain! •
NASCAR
Fever!A celebrity appearance, driving
simulator and remote control
track were all part of a turbo-
charged day at the Mars
Petcare National Office.
Russ Emick (right) gets
his son’s go-cart signed by
his hero Kyle Busch (left).
BRN Events Team (L–R), front row: Brandon Ellis, Amanda Pierce;
Middle row: Aaron Appelhanz, Andy Morris, Lisa Martin,
Pam Traughber, Kyle Busch, Shaunna Conner, Angelique Hopper;
Back row: Mike Raybon, Daniel Lockwood,
Nick Pierce, Debbie Wilkinson
White knuckle ride:the NASCAR simulator
experience.
The National
Office gets a
NASCAR makeover.

Events
T
he 20 associates who won
our NASCAR competition
had the once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to go to the Amp Energy
500 at the Talladega Superspeedway
in Talladega, AL, one of NASCAR’s
most exciting tracks.
Associates had an action-packed
day – not only did they get a trackside
view of the race itself in a VIP suite
with tasty lunch and refreshments,
but they also got an exclusive tour of
the pits and met NASCAR hero, Kyle
Busch, driver of PEDIGREE’s lucky
number 18 car. •
RaceDayAn exclusive tour and some VIP treatment
gave 20 lucky competition winners the trip of a
lifetime in October.
Winning Associates
Sandra Brinkeroff
Bob Fisher
Allan Martin
Robert Reeves
Lia Rivadeneyra
Reuben Fuentes
Steven Reneau
Donna Coleman
Joy Lachowicz
Nadia Webster-Long
Nick Pierce
Jerry Farkas
Karen Graham
Carrie Adams
Edward Reed
Vickie Trueblood
Juan Rodriguez
Mike Wrye
Linda Rudisill
Dave Hargrave
(L–R) Sandra Farkas,
Pamela Mars, Joy
Lachowicz and Nadia
Webster-Long.
Ed Reed

T
he PEDIGREE brand is proud
to announce its partnership
with the upcoming film Hotel
for Dogs, from DreamWorks Pictures
and released by Paramount Pictures.
Hitting theaters January 16,
2009, Hotel for Dogs, starring
Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Lisa
Kudrow, Kevin Dillon and Don
Cheadle is a smart, funny comedy
adventure that shows how far love
and imagination can take you.
When their new guardians forbid
16-year-old Andi (Roberts) and her
SeeaMovie,
HelpaDog
younger brother, Bruce (Austin) to
have a pet, Andi has to use her quick
wit to help find a new home for
their dog, Friday. The resourceful
kids stumble upon an abandoned
hotel and using Bruce’s talents as a
mechanical genius, transform it into
a magical dog-paradise for Friday
– and eventually for all Friday’s
friends. When barking dogs make
the neighbors suspicious, Andi and
Bruce use every invention they have
to avoid anyone discovering “who let
the dogs in.”
The Adoption Drive Spirit
Thanks to the brand’s outstanding
advocacy for homeless dogs and past
dog adoption efforts, the studio knew
PEDIGREE would be the perfect
partner for the film and approached
the brand with this opportunity.
After months of collaboration,
both parties are extremely pleased
with the results – the PEDIGREE
brand plays an integral role in the
movie and, for the first time ever,
viewers can help dogs in need simply
by attending the movie.
“See the movie, help a dog” has
become the rallying cry for this
movie – for every ticket purchased,
the PEDIGREE brand will make a
donation to help shelter dogs find
loving homes.
A new star-studded film,
Hotel for Dogs, brings the
PEDIGREE® brand to life
on the big screen.
Feature
©istockphoto.com

“As the brand that loves dogs, we’re
proud to partner with Hotel for Dogs
and are excited to maximize our efforts
to help our four-legged friends in need,”
says Amy Keith, Associate Brand
Manager, Mars Petcare. “We share
the film’s belief that all dogs deserve a
loving home and encourage all of our
associates to see the movie, help a dog.”
Beyond the movie, the partnership
will be showcased via full-scale
marketing efforts driven by both the
brand and the movie studio. From
online to in-store to specially-tagged
television ads and even on popcorn
bags in participating theaters, the “see
the movie, help a dog” message will
be seen and heard by many. •
Feature
IN THEATERS JANUARY 16
Behind the scenes
of the movie

Brands
Terms and conditions: 1. Subject to the additional restrictions below. The Associate competition (the “Sweepstakes”) is open to all Mars Petcare US associates (including Nutro Products
and The Greenies Company associates) who submit a completed entry form. 2. The Sweepstakes will end December 22, 2008. To enter, send your completed entry form to The Associate
Competition, Attn. Shaunna Conner, Mars Petcare US, 315 Cool Springs Blvd., Franklin, TN 37067, or drop it into The Associate Sweepstakes box at your site. 3. Winners will be selected at
random from among eligible entries on or about December 23, 2008. 4. Prize: One of 2 trips for four to the Nashville Premier of Hotel for Dogs January 11, 2009. Odds of winning depend
on the number of eligible entries received. 5. Winners will be notified on or about December 23, 2008 at the telephone number and/or email address provided on their entry forms. The
winner’s names will be published in the next issue of The Associate. Only one entry per associate. ®/TM Trademarks © Mars, Incorporated 2008
Name ..........................................................................................................................................
Telephone ...................................................................................................................................
Email ..........................................................................................................................................
Site ............................................................................................................................................
Entry Form:1. Email your name, site and phone number to:
associatecompetitions@effem.com
OR
2. Fill in your details and
send this entry form to:
The Associate Competition
Attn: Shaunna Conner
315 Cool Springs Blvd.
Franklin, TN 37067
Entries must be received by December 22, 2008.
The winners will be announced in the Spring Issue of The Associate
©2008DreamWorksLLC.

I
n 1996, Joe and Judy Roetheli had
a bad breath problem. No, the bad
breath was not the human variety,
turns out it was a canine issue – their
Labrador, Ivan, was the potty mouth.
Like many pet owners, they loved to
get up close and personal with Ivan, but
plaque and tarter build-up on his teeth
resulted in a case of gingivitis. Nothing
seemed to work, but the Roethelis were
not ones to give up easily.
Joe and Judy took their bad
breath issue to a board-certified
veterinary nutritionist and other
experts, eventually developing the
now-familiar tooth brushed-shaped
dental treat known as GREENIES.
The GREENIES treat is the perfect
combination of taste (dogs and cats
love them) and oral care. In fact, an
independent dental test showed that
using GREENIES dental chews once
a day reduces tarter build-up by 68
percent and plaque by 10.5 percent.
“Our focus has expanded to embrace
the veterinarian community through
the Oral ATP (Assessment, Treatment,
Prevention) program sponsored by
GREENIES in conjunction with
veterinarian
dental expert,
Jan Bellows,
DVM,” explains
Associate Brand Manager
Aaron Baker. “This is an online learning
resource for veterinary practitioners,
technicians and staff to learn about
how to best develop, implement and
maintain effective oral care procedures.
GREENIES are an effective tool
for veterinarians for prevention of
periodontal disease.”
Revolutionizing
the Market
While it took a few years for
GREENIES to become a household
name, it eventually
revolutionized
oral care for dogs
and cats alike.
“S&M NuTec,
LLC (The Greenies
Company) has
always had a few
core beliefs,” says
Aaron. “First, we
have always provided
functional treats. Not
only do our snacks and
treats allow for the special
human-pet interaction which all treats
offer, but we provide functional, healthy
treats, that provide for the
betterment of the pet.”
GREENIES has now
expanded their line of
dental treats for cats
and dogs to include
Breathof
FreshAir GREENIES Smart Biscuits
and GREENIES Pill Pockets.
“The fastest growing product
within the GREENIES portfolio
is the Pill Pockets. We have
incredible testimonials from owners
that Pill Pockets have removed a lot
of stress for the owner and the pet. As
a cat owner, I have a lot of shredded
shirts to prove this!” laughs Aaron.
“There is nothing like Pill Pockets in
the marketplace, and we look forward
to launching more innovative Pill
Pockets in 2009.”
Passion for Innovation
“GREENIES has had a tremendous
focus on in-store marketing. We
have been leaders in pet specialty
providing great merchandising tools
for retailers,” Aaron continues. “One
of the most exciting things about
the future of the
GREENIES brand
is that we now
have the high
impact Nutro
Products sales
force and
demo team
pushing
GREENIES
every day in pet
stores across the
country. There is a lot of
passion in the sales team and we are
proud that they are the ambassadors
of our brand.
“Our plans are to keep doing what
we do best: create great snacks and
treats with functional benefits, develop
more tools for retailers, and allow our
unique culture to flourish which ignites
creativity and innovation.” •
The GREENIES® story
started 12 years ago
but the innovative brand
just keeps evolving.
Brands

Brands
D
id you know that there are
over 16,000 retail outlets
that fall into Pet Specialty,
Independent Pet and Independent
Farm and Feed categories? Because of
the size of this channel, Mars Petcare
developed a new Sales Team to focus
on these retailers.
“In this channel, the only way to get
distribution is one store at a time,” says
Sales Director, John Coryell. “To give
you perspective, Nutro Products has
gained distribution over the last 20 or
so years in over 10,500 of these outlets.
They have done this by developing a
large field sales team to call on each of
these outlets to dominate this channel.”
First Steps
Mars Petcare built an Independent
Pet Specialty field team made up of
four Area Managers: Sabrina Carter
(Northern California), Adam May
(Southern California), Gregg Melchiorri
(Pacific Northwest), and Anna Barnes
(Midwest). Additionally, there are two
Regional Managers: Rich Hellenbrand
who covers the western half of the
U.S., and Laura Sliwak who covers
the eastern half of the U.S. “As with
most brands that start out in Pet
Specialty, you need to start small and
develop a profitable business so we can
afford ourselves and add more area
managers,” says John.
“In general our team sells all the
brands but our key focus is on the profit
brands – TEMPTATIONS®, CESAR®,
and Dog Snacks and Treats. One of
our biggest challenges this year was
to launch WHOLEMEALS into this
channel. We recently passed our first
milestone by gaining distribution for
WHOLEMEALS in over 1,100 outlets
by September of this year.
“To drive distribution we offered
Aheadof
theField
a free shipper to every retailer that
purchased one case of each of the eight
new WHOLEMEALS items,” explains
John. “If that was too big for a specific
store we offered a small display at the
check out. After securing distribution,
our team has been very committed to
ensuring that the product is moving off
the retailer shelves by doing a number
of weekend demos on their own time.
Each team member is very committed
to the success of the WHOLEMEALS
brand in particular and have
demonstrated this with the weekends
and extra hours that they have put in
doing demos, conducting educational
seminars at store level, or just passing
out coupons at dog parks,” says John.

High Profile
Another key to the early success
of WHOLEMEALS is a video that
George Kay and Matt Hirschhorn
produced using Dr. Tiffany Bierer as
the spokesperson for WHOLEMEALS.
The video is a two minute loop that
plays all day on the WHOLEMEALS
shelf. The video helps explain the
WHOLEMEALS product and its
benefits, as well as how to use it.
“The key is getting people to
understand all the benefits, and the
fact that this is a complete meal, not
a snack. The product is awesome
and could be the most palatable one
we make. Once a dog tries it the
product sells itself to the consumer,”
explains John.

What’s Next?
John is very excited about the
upcoming year. “2009 is all about
making sure that the stores that have
distribution are successful. We will be
very focused on educating the retailers,
participating in major pet events in
our key markets where we have area
managers, and sampling. We want to
ensure we have the price point correct,
the product merchandised in multiple
locations, and lots of point-of-sale
material on the shelf.” The team has
doubled the volume of TEMPTATIONS
sold through the channel, and in 2009
it will focus on growing CESAR,
TEMPTATIONS, Dog Snacks and
Treats by over 50 percent. •
A new field team has been going the extra mile to
launch the WHOLEMEALS® brand into the Independent
Pet Specialty channel, with amazing results.
Left: The new Independent Pet
Specialty field team.

Brands
A
ccording to Webster’s
Dictionary, temptation means
“to entice with the promise
of pleasure.” And the marketing
team for TEMPTATIONS® cat
treats is taking that definition to
heart: over the past two years, the
brand has seen an increase in sales of
60 percent. TEMPTATIONS is the
largest brand in the cat treat category
with a 43 percent share, which is up
14 percent from 2007.
“Allison Jones has been the brand
manager on the TEMPTATIONS
brand for the past two years and has
grown brand sales by more than 60
percent during that time,” says Brand
Manager Cat Snacks and Treats, Lisa
Campbell. “Allison is now going to
be working with NUTRO™ and I’m
excited to be joining such a strong
brand. I look forward to continuing
to grow and evolve the business with
the team.” The marketing team also
includes Marketing Director Ed Uebele
and Associate Brand Manager Cass
Shields Noggle.
Winning Hearts and Minds
An interesting fact about cat owners
is that only 44 percent of them treat
their pet compared to 90 percent
of dog owners.
“We have been driving growth
by increasing category penetration.
Being the leader in the category, one
of the best ways to increase share
is to increase the overall category
sales,” says Lisa.
One of the reasons consumers
do not treat their cats is because
they don’t want to feed them
junk food. Because of this, All
Natural TEMPTATIONS was
launched in January 2008 and
has been incremental to the brand
because it offers a healthy, natural
way to treat. The buyers of All
Natural TEMPTATIONS treats
are impacting the category.
“Almost 30 percent
of All Natural
TEMPTATIONS users are new
to the category and close to 40
percent of them are new to the
TEMPTATIONS brand,” says Lisa.
“TEMPTATIONS has achieved
its success by having a great
product. The palatability of the
TEMPTATIONS brand is great, so
once a cat tries it, the owner is sold
on the product,” she explains.
What’s next for the brand? “We have
several new and exciting initiatives
planned for 2009.
We will be bringing
the brand’s fun
and playful
personality
to life.” •
With an increase in sales of 60 percent over the last two years, TEMPTATIONS® is
enticing cat owners with its‘promise of pleasure’.
Here,Kitty!
The Snacks and
Treats team (L–R):
Chuck Steinell; Lisa
Campbell; Cass
Shields Noggle; Ed
Uebele; Mike Palmer
©istockphoto.com

Peticulars
T
he Persian cat was once
traded for goods and valued
for its beauty and tempera-
ment. The breed is thought to have
originated in Persia (modern day
Iran), but there are also Egyptian
hieroglyphics on pyramid walls that
resemble the Persian cat.
Today, it is the most popular breed
of cat and is easily recognized, highly
sought after, and greatly treasured by
their owners.
The Persian is known for its
temperament as well as its beauty.
They make wonderful family pets
because they adapt so easily to
their environment and their body
style usually keeps them from high
jumping. This breed is the most calm
and docile of all cat breeds but is
also loving and affectionate, though
they don’t demand your undivided
attention and aren’t the pushy sort.
Persians aren’t a very vocal breed and
tend to be fairly quiet. They are also
friendly and are usually accepting of
other animals in the family.
The fact that the Persian requires
a large amount of grooming hasn’t
affected their popularity; however,
if you adopt a Persian, you have to
be willing to do daily brushing and
face washing and give your cat a
monthly bath.
FromPersia,WithLoveThe Persian cat is docile and affectionate but also
beautiful, with a coat requiring lots of care.
The Himalayan, a color pointed
Persian, was created by breeding
the Persian to the Siamese, which
made for a coat that is easier to
care for. Himalayans aren’t quite
as prone to matting and require
less brushing, though a daily comb
through is a good idea.
Some of the more extreme
flat-faced cats may have some
respiratory problems and are
prone to more tearing than Persians
with a lower nose. In general,
though, the Persian is a hardy,
healthy breed of cat. •
©istockphoto.com

One look at the melting brown eyes of Buster
and it was love at first sight for Jason Ripper.
Jasonand
Buster
Peticulars
in love and had to take him home.
Buster is a cock-a-poo (cocker
spaniel-poodle mix) and will turn
one in October.
Energizing the Household
“Even though my son Jacob is nine,
before we got Buster our house
was fairly quiet. That little dog has
completely transformed the household
– he energizes the whole family. He’s
the first to greet me at the door, and
he never gets bored with me!” laughs
Jason. “I can’t stop giving love to my
little puppy dog. He’s always looking
for hugs, a lap to sit on or someone to
curl into to fall asleep.”
Buster even changed the mind of
Jason’s mom. “My parents were not
‘pet people’ while I was growing up,
and I didn’t know what my mom
would think of Buster when she
came to visit,” remembers Jason.
“But I had nothing to worry about.
Buster has changed my mom’s point
of view. While she was visiting,
A
wise pet owner once said,
“The good Lord in his
ultimate wisdom gave us three
things to make life bearable: hope,
laughter, and dogs…but the greatest
of these is dogs.”
It’s a given: If you work long
enough for Mars Petcare, the love of
animals will rub off on you. And it
doesn’t just affect those that reside in
Nashville or at one of the sites around
the country. This time, the dog-bug bit
Jason Ripper who works in Corporate
Affairs in the Mount Olive, NJ office.
“I have been with Mars for two years
and support internal communications
for Mars North America, which
includes Mars Petcare,” said Jason. “I
never had a dog growing up, but the
Hackettstown, NJ associates held a
pet adoption drive last fall, and it got
me to thinking about getting a dog.
“My wife Gail and I were walking
through the mall last holiday season
and saw a little brown and white
puppy in the window. We just fell
“It’s a given: if you work long enough for Mars
Petcare, the love of animals will rub off on you.”
Buster followed her everywhere to
play; he even wanted to stay with
her at night to sleep. And when she
was leaving, he ran to a window on
the second floor to watch my mom
get in the car and leave. It was his
own way of saying goodbye. Now
when mom calls, she asks about her
grandson first, then she asks about
Buster. She eventually gets around to
asking about me!” says Jason.
Buster has even won over the
neighborhood children. “The little
kids in the neighborhood will come
over, knock on the door and ask if
Buster can come out and play. He
has quite the fan club,” comments
Jason. “I can’t believe that I haven’t
had a dog before. Because of him,
I’m officially a dog person. I will
always have a dog.” •
Jason, Gail and
Jacob celebrate
Buster’s first birthday.

AccountProfile
T
he mission at Nutro Products is
to convert pet food consumers
into NUTRO™ customers
by telling the NUTRO story at Pet
Specialty locations throughout the U.S.
and Canada. Our goal is to be the best
pet food demonstration team in the
world,” says NUTRO National Demo
Director, Margie Moss.
That ‘demonstration team’ is made
up of 3,300 Pet Nutrition Specialists
that do much more than hand out
samples and coupons. “Our specialists
mainly educate the consumer about
how we are different – and better!
By asking specific questions, the
specialists discover what is going on
with a customer’s pet, and makes
recommendations based on that need.
When we make a conversion, the
customer understands why they are
buying the product.”
Training to be Different
Pet Nutrition Specialists undergo
a significant amount of training
not only on the NUTRO product
line, but how to tell the NUTRO
story to consumers. The specialists
participate in a mandatory training
meeting once a month, and the
company provides four full training
sessions, four times a
year. “We take
such pride
SpecialAgents
“
Meet the Nutro Products Pet Nutrition Specialist Team, who are busily
converting customers to the brand they believe in.
Jane Berotti,
Albuquerque, NM
©istockphoto.com

AccountProfile
a high percentage of retired folks
averaging 50-60 years old. We also have
a number of stay-at-home moms and
dads. We find most of our specialists
through referrals and the NUTRO
website,” says Margie.
Because of the growth of national
retailers, the NUTRO demo force
continues to grow. “When I started
in our training; it’s what makes us
different,” says Margie.
“We want a specialist to feel
confident in their presentation so
we provide scripts for the specialists
to follow. It’s easy to remember and
helps the specialist to identify the
needs of pet owners. Eventually,
with experience, it becomes second
nature to tell the NUTRO story
and go through the key points in a
presentation such as ‘feed less, eat less,
poop less’ as well as reminding the
customer that Nutro Products offers a
100 percent money back guarantee.
“Once a food is identified, we then
talk to the customer about treats,
and now – because of the addition
of GREENIES® – our demo team
is responsible for discussing oral
care as well. It’s been fun to include
GREENIES in our conversations. We
are able to heighten the awareness of
oral care and promote the number
one product on the market.”
A-PEACH
Not just anyone can be a Pet Nutrition
Specialist. The ideal candidate has a
very specific set of characteristics. “We
look for specific qualities that we call
‘A-PEACH.’ This stands for assertive,
personable, energy, action oriented,
communications skills, and a history
of hard work,” explains Margie.
“Currently the average longevity of
our specialists is about 24 months
which is great for part time
employment.”
In addition to the
characteristics, Pet
Nutrition Specialists
tend to meet a
certain profile.
“Specialists are pet
lovers and someone
who feeds NUTRO. We have
“We take such pride in our training; it’s what
makes us different”
Sheila Greenwood,
British Columbia, Canada
Dot Buckley,
Yakima, WA
What the Specialists Say
“My husband Brian launched Nutro Products into Canada at the 1986
Expo and I think I’m one of the original demonstrators for the company. I
always suggest to customers to read the labels of their pet’s food and be
aware of what they are feeding their dog or cat. Consumers are surprised
to say the least when they see by-products and preservatives listed in a
food. Over the years, I have seen sick pets become healthy just because
of a change in diet. I believe in NUTRO foods so much and I would never
do this type of work for any other company.”
Sheila Greenwood, Pet Nutrition Specialist since 1987
“I celebrated my ninth year with Nutro Products this month and it feels
like a dream. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long! NUTRO sells itself. I
enjoy telling the story and helping customers and their dogs.”
Jane Berotti, Pet Nutrition Specialist since 1999
“I believe you have to believe in what you’re selling and I love the
company. I believe in NUTRO because it’s what I feed to my three
Standard Schnauzers – and they are all champions. And I love the team
out here. Angela Reagan, Mark Reed, and Mary Hooks are awesome.
They supply us with everything we need to do our jobs well.”
Dot Buckley, Pet Nutrition Specialist since 1996
with Nutro Products as a Territory
Demo Manager ten years ago there
were 30 demonstrators. At that time
sales reps did most of the demos, but
the success of the in-store demos was
undeniable. Now, in just the last three
years, our demo team has gone from
2,000, to 3,300 and we add new people
almost every day,” laughs Margie. •

Community
J
unior Achievemnt (JA) BizTown,
JA’s Elementary Capstone
Program, helps young people
discover, investigate and become
productive citizens in a life-size
replica of a real town. The students
operate the stores, bank, radio
station, restaurant, newspaper,
realty office, TV station, and city
hall – which are all outfitted with
modern office equipment and
business supplies.
During the JA BizTown experience,
students learn first-hand what it
takes to create a business, run a
newspaper, supervise employees
and hold elected office, as well as
personally earn and manage money.
Young people are getting a taste of the responsibilities
and opportunities of citizenship in a special free
enterprise program sponsored by PEDIGREE®.
Prior to their daylong JA BizTown
experience, teachers and adult
volunteers attend on-site training
workshops, and students complete
a four to six week interdisciplinary
in-class curriculum. Then it is off
to JA BizTown, where everyone
participates in a hands-on
simulation that illustrates the
connection between hard work and
tangible success. A visit also teaches
responsibility, leadership, decision-
making and team building.
Teachers here are given a new
interdisciplinary approach to
teaching social studies, math,
language arts, government and
economics. Parents have a chance to
experience economic education in
new, exciting, and imaginative ways.
The Mars Effect
“The five-year, $50,000 sponsorship
of the Junior Achievement BizTown’s
pet store by Mars Petcare US and
the PEDIGREE brand will not only
allow us to meet the needs of today’s
students, but to also ensure that
we will continue to provide this
innovative learning opportunity that
is so instrumental in preparing the
workforce of the future,” says Angel
May, Mars Petcare US Community
Affairs Manager. •
BizTownGetsBusy
P
EDIGREE and HEB grocery
stores recently partnered up to
co-host an adoption drive event
with Animal Friends Humane Society
(San Antonio, TX) as an initiative to
help shelter dogs in the community
find loving homes and to support
the newly-established PEDIGREE
Foundation.
The event, sponsored by
PEDIGREE and HEB, was the
culmination of a special in-store
co-marketing program that raised
$14,000 for local shelters throughout
the region. Among the local shelters
receiving donations were:
San Antonio – Animal Friends
Humane Society
Houston – Houston Humane Society
Austin – PAWS of Austin
Corpus Christi – PALS Animal Shelter •
PEDIGREE®, HEB and the
Animal Friends Humane
Society in San Antonio
have joined forces
to find homes for
abandoned dogs.
Heart
ofTexas
The PEDIGREE
Dogstore in BizTown
(L–R) Associates Juan Rodriguez and
Sandy Hartley, the Animal Friends
Humane Society’s Cheryl Wildenstein,
HEB’s Scott Prey and Debra Godoy,
and associate Hector Cordero

Community
PetPawgeant
T
he Lebanon, TN site, which
produces a number of
NUTRO® products, recently
held its own ‘Pawgeant’ featuring the
pets and critters of the associates.
“There were three categories:
dogs, cats and ‘other’. The winner
of the ‘other’ category was a pet
goat! It was great fun,” says Site
Administrator, Lisa Pierce.
Over 50 photo entries
of associates’ beloved
companions and unusual
pets were brought
in for all to see.
Everyone had the
opportunity to
vote for their
favorite in
each category.
The Lebanon, TN, site went wild when it held a
‘Pawgeant’to celebrate the weird and wonderful
pets close their hearts.
Winning Pets
The Distribution Department
walked away with first place ribbons
in all three categories.
Sammy White and his American
Bulldog Samson took first place in
the dog category. Jason Montgomery
won first place in the cat category
with Gracie, a Persian, and James
Rickman overwhelmingly took first
place in the ‘other’ pet category
with ‘Goat.’ •
SpringaPet
FundraiserBoosting the bottom
line for the PETCO
Foundation.
A
check for $50,000 was
presented to the PETCO
Foundation from Mars
Petcare and the PEDIGREE® brand
in support of the Foundation’s 2008
‘Spring A Pet’ Campaign.
Earlier this year, PETCO teams
across the country collected
donations on behalf of local
animal shelters with thousands of
pet parents giving to the cause.
Mars Petcare donated $1 for every
purchase of PEDIGREE products of
$10 or more.
The company’s contribution
brought the campaign’s total to
$1.95 million, with all donations
going to local animal shelters. “All
of the money raised in our stores
during the Spring A Pet fundraiser
went straight to the PETCO
Foundation this year because the
PEDIGREE brand covered the
costs of the signage to promote the
campaign, saving the foundation
$35,000,” says VP DMM Dog Food
Consumables Rick Rockhill, who
accepted the check on behalf of the
PETCO Foundation.
“More than four million animals
are surrendered to shelters each year,
and with the continued economic
climate, we are seeing the number of
dogs brought into shelters increase,”
says Harvey Millar, Mars Petcare
National Sales Director. “We are
determined to reduce that trend.”•
SiteProfile

SiteProfile
stable, comfortable and outgoing in
environments which are new to the dog.
Police dogs rarely work at home and
must perform in places that are new to
them and their handlers. Confidence in
new environments is shown in dogs of
all ages, so puppies can be evaluated
for this trait. Dogs used for police work
must also show good ‘prey’ or ‘hunting’
drive. This is expressed in a dog’s desire
to chase moving objects, seek out
hidden objects and carry objects. This
drive is essential to all scent work and
off-lead apprehension work.
Dogs of any age which will chase and
persistently search for objects in a new,
adverse environment (like a slippery
floor or climbing over unstable footing)
make the best candidates for detector or
other scent work.
If a puppy shows confidence and
stability in all sorts of environments,
good prey drive and some indications
that it has defense drive, it will
probably make a good K-9 officer.
The size, color and overall
looks of the dog are much less
important that its temperament
and ability to function. •
W
e financially supported
the first K-9 officer in
our area in May 1999.
That officer was a part of the Coles
County Sheriff’s Department for
many years and has since retired,”
says Susie Butler, site services for
the Mattoon site.
“In May of 2001 we
supported the Mattoon
Police Department by purchasing ‘Jax’,
who is still active today. Most recently,
the site supported a black German
Shepherd named Goro. Goro started
with the police department in August
and is still going through training.”
In total, the Mattoon site supports
15 K-9 units within a 100 mile
radius of the site. “Although we
have helped financially with three
dogs, we provide food for all the K-9
units around central Illinois. With
today’s cutbacks, all officers are very
appreciative of our generous food
donations,” explains Susie. “And
when the dog trials are within close
proximity of us, we take several
pallets of food, snacks and treats to
help support the officers that protect
us on a daily basis.
“Also, the site actually has an agility
course and perpetrator search boxes for
training. Several area officers and their
four-legged partners use our facility for
practice on a regular basis.”
Regional Competitions
Because of the on-site course, the
site has played host for one of the
regional competitions held by the
United States Police Canine Association
(USPCA). “Many of the dogs that
we sponsor have won prestigious
awards,” comments Susie. “In fact,
K-9 Officer Jax and his partner Officer
Ron Bateman of the Mattoon Police
Department took first place at the
USPCA Regional Dog Trials in May.”
According to Susie, the working K-9
is to be respected when on duty, but an
off-duty dog is just as playful as any
other family dog. “These dogs
live and work with their handlers.
The bond between dog and their
human partner is extremely
strong,” said Susie. “When a K-9
officer retires, he stays with his
handler for the rest of his life.”
Suitable K-9 Officers
Any dog used for patrol or
detection purposes must be
K-9CapersFor nearly ten years the Mattoon, IL site has been supporting the U.S.
Police Canine Association by providing food and training facilities.
Associates load up a trailer
of product for the USPCA.
(L–R) Officer Ron
Bateman, Jax, Susie
Butler, Officer Ryan
Hurst and Goro
“

Health & Wellbeing
T
hese physical signs
of some of the most
common forms of
cancer have been compiled from
a number of sources including the
American Cancer Society and Cancer
Awareness, to help the wellbeing and
health of the Mars associates. If you
or a loved one is experiencing any of
these symptoms, please consult your
physician.
1Losing weight at a rapid rate
(among people not being on a
diet), gasses, discomfort, digestive
disorders, anorexia, recurring
diarrhea and constipation are the
symptoms occurring most frequently
in cases of lung, stomach, kidney and
large intestine cancer.
2Pain of unknown cause such as
long-lasting stomach aches can be
the symptom of large intestine cancer,
lumbago can be the sign of kidney
cancer, and pain in the chest can result
from lung cancer. Bone aches can be
caused by metastasis.
3Long-lasting hoarseness (over three
weeks), persistent cough or change
of its character can be caused by lung
or larynx cancer.
4Change in color of moles and
warts, ulceration and itching,
ulceration of open wounds, burns and
scalds can be the signs of skin cancer.
5Excessive production of urine,
backlog of urine, painful urinating,
slow, time-consuming flow of urine,
lumbago as well as backache can be
the signs of prostate cancer.
6Pain, vertigo,
nausea, sight
distortions (over
sensitized sight,
astigmatism), hearing
impediment, upset balance and
mental disorders can result from
brain cancer.
7Swallowing difficulties can be
a symptom of throat, larynx,
esophagus and even stomach cancer.
8Feeling of fullness, aches and
digestive disorders may be due
to stomach cancer and other kinds
of intestinal cancers. Blood in feces,
black feces, alternating diarrhea and
constipation, mucus in feces, narrow
(pencil-like) feces are also symptoms
of intestinal cancer, especially of the
large intestine and rectum.
9Blood in urine (without the
symptoms of urinary tract
inflammation), compulsive urination,
and difficulties in urination can
accompany a urinary tract cancer.
10Improper bleeding from the
genital tracks, pink or dark-
red vaginal discharges, hypogastria
and aching lower limbs can
be the signs of vagina,
uterine cervix
and uterus
cancer.
12Breast
lump,
ulceration,
retraction of
the nipple,
asymmetrical
nipples,
change of size
or the shape of a
nipple, its swelling
and the marks around
it, enlargement of lymphatic
glands in the armpit, extension
of veins in the breast skin, ulceration
of breast skin, shoulder swelling, flat
efflorescence (in case of advanced
inflammation nipple cancer) – are
often symptoms of breast cancer.
13Pain and pressure in the
upper right part of the
stomach, tiredness, anorexia, and
at a further stage of the disease a
palpable tumor in the upper right
part of stomach, inclination to
jaundice and bleeding can be the
signs of liver cancer. •
Don’t ignore the signs:
early detection of cancer
can save your life.
AreyouReading
theSignals?
The Mars HealthTracks Cancer Program
By addressing the full spectrum of oncology HealthTracks offers a
confidential, telephonic support program that assists in screening and
early detection, supports participants undergoing active treatment and
provides additional services for participants who have triumphed over the
illness or who are living with a terminal disease.
Upon enrollment in the HealthTracks cancer program, each participant
is assigned to a care manager that will be available to him or her via a toll
free number. An on-call care manager is also accessible to participants
24/7. The HealthTracks care managers are specialized oncology nurses
with an average of 13 years of experience. They are knowledgeable in
all cancer treatment settings including home health, hospice, hospital-
surgical care, and medical oncology and radiation practices.
Call 866.588.1824, option 1, option 3 to enroll.

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