When dog and cat owners hear the phrase Mud Bay, they likely think about affordable natural pet care products.
By 2010, the Olympia-based retail chain gained the reputation of being considered a preeminent U.S. retailer in the category.
“We are currently the 14th largest U.S. pet retailer (by store count) and one of the top three U.S. retailers in natural pet care,” co-CEO Marisa Wulff said. “We’ve been successful by adapting to the needs of the business and our customers while always staying true to our mission.”
That mission is to “contribute to the health of dogs and cats and the happiness of those who care for them, while building a company we are proud of,” Wulff said.
Three years ago, Mud Bay, Inc., obtained a Small Business Administration-guaranteed 7(a) loan from Columbia Bank for $200,000 in working capital.
“The loan helped us to open and stock the Sumner store,” Wulff said. “We chose to open a Sumner store because it seemed to have a relatively high dog ownership and is a charming community with a commuter rail station. It also appeared to be underserved from the standpoint of healthy, natural choices for pet foods and supplies.”
Just last fall, Mud Bay also entered the Puyallup market when it opened a store on Meridian Avenue East on South Hill.
The openings are part of a recent growth spurt for the company that has taken shape in the past decade.
“In 2000, we were able to grow from one store to nine stores with an SBA-guaranteed 7(a) loan of $860,000 from Columbia Bank,” Wulff said. “We used the funds to purchase the assets of an insolvent chain of pet stores in the Seattle area.”
Wulff and her brother, Lars, the other co-CEO, had formed Mud Bay Inc. to purchase the assets of Bosley’s Pet Food Marts. Mud Bay took over all eight of the chain’s stores.
That came after Marissa and Lars’ mother, Elsa Wulff, incorporated Mud Bay Granary to purchase and operate a farm store in the country above Mud Bay in Olympia. Lars joined the company in 1989. Marisa joined in 1993.
The company grew exponentially between 1988-99, and that’s when Lars and Marisa decided they wanted Mud Bay to focus exclusively on natural pet care for dogs and cats.
“We realized that being somewhat knowledgeable about a barnyard full of animals wasn’t as interesting as being experts in just two animals,” Marisa said. “We discovered that our real passion was the nutrition, health and happiness of dogs and cats, so that’s where we began to focus.”
After continued support from the SBA program and from the Service Corp. of Retired Executives (SCORE), Mud Bay, Inc., has grown to 23 stores in the Puget Sound.
“We will add as many stores as makes sense each year,” Marisa Wulff said. “We will only grow if we can do so well. We are likely to move beyond the Puget Sound region in the next year or so. The Vancouver/Portland area will be our next market.”
Within the Puget Sound region, Marisa said Mud Bay likely will open two to four new stores this year.
Reach reporter Andrew Fickes at 253-841-2481 Ext. 313 or email at andrew.fickes@puyallupherald.com.
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