Introduction
Black Hawk is a premium Australian dog food brand that was founded in 1975 by Ron Jackson. The brand produces dry and wet dog food, using high-quality Australian ingredients like pasture-raised meats. Black Hawk aims to provide complete and balanced nutrition based on a dog’s ancestral diet and natural eating habits. The brand has grown over the decades to become a popular choice among Australian dog owners seeking a high-protein, grain-free diet rich in natural fats and oils.
Black Hawk Brand History
Black Hawk was founded in the 1920s in the United States as a premium dog food brand. The original Black Hawk recipes focused on high-quality proteins and digestible carbohydrates to provide complete and balanced nutrition for dogs.
According to Black Hawk’s website, the brand’s beginnings were in the American Midwest in 1926. The founder’s intent was to create nutritious and natural recipes that kept dogs healthy and performing at their best. In the early years, Black Hawk grew popular among households and breeders for its specialized recipes tailored to different dog breeds and life stages.
Ownership Timeline
Black Hawk started out as a family-owned pet food company in Australia. The brand was originally created in 1975 by Jack and Gwen Maskiell as a premium dog food made with quality ingredients. For over a decade, Black Hawk operated as a family business and became one of the top selling dog food brands in Australia during the 1970s and 80s.
In the mid-1980s, Black Hawk was acquired by Mars Petcare, the pet food division of the Mars company. Mars is a privately held global manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products. After acquiring Black Hawk, Mars continued producing the dog food recipes while bringing their large-scale manufacturing and distribution capabilities.
Today, Black Hawk remains under the ownership of Mars Petcare and continues to be manufactured in Australia using domestically sourced ingredients. Under the Mars umbrella, Black Hawk has expanded its reach while still emphasizing its origins as an Australian family brand (Source).
Mars Petcare
Mars Petcare is a global pet food manufacturing company owned by Mars, Incorporated. Mars acquired the Black Hawk brand of dog food in 2001 when they purchased Doane Pet Care Company, who originally manufactured Black Hawk (1). Doane Pet Care was one of the largest pet food manufacturers in the United States at the time.
Today, Mars Petcare is one of the leading pet food manufacturers worldwide. They produce many major brands of pet food including Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin, Nutro and more. Mars Petcare has over 1,100 pet nutritionists and food scientists across their network of facilities striving to advance pet nutrition and health. The Black Hawk brand is still manufactured and sold under the Mars Petcare umbrella.
Sources:
(1) https://www.mars.com/our-brands
Mars Company Headquarters
Mars, Incorporated is a privately held, family-owned U.S. multinational manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products and a provider of animal care services. The company is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.
Mars was founded in 1911 by Frank C. Mars in Tacoma, Washington. The company is completely owned by the Mars family. Mars operates in six business segments: Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, and Symbioscience.
The Mars global headquarters has been located in McLean, Virginia since 1972. The 600,000 square-foot headquarters campus is situated on a 230-acre plot and includes an on-site daycare, fitness center, and cafeteria. Though the company has facilities worldwide, its corporate leadership operates out of the McLean headquarters.
Mars Manufacturing Facilities
Black Hawk dog food is made at facilities owned by Mars Petcare in the United States. The main production facility for Black Hawk is located in Columbus, Nebraska and there are additional facilities in Fort Smith, Arkansas and Joplin, Missouri [1]. All Black Hawk kibble formulas sold in Australia are manufactured at Mars-owned facilities in the US before being imported.
The Columbus, Nebraska plant opened in 2007 and spans 1 million square feet, making it one of the largest pet food facilities in the world. This state-of-the-art facility employs over 300 people and has capacity to produce over 220,000 tons of dry dog and cat food annually. Mars touts the plant’s commitment to quality and safety standards.
Ingredients Sourcing
Black Hawk dog food sources its high-quality ingredients from trusted suppliers in the USA and Canada. This includes chicken, grains like rice and oats, as well as vegetables.
According to Black Hawk’s website, their chicken comes from Midwestern family farms in the USA. The chicken is hormone and steroid free (Source).
The grains used in Black Hawk, including rice and oats, are sourced from North American growers and suppliers. Rice provides carbohydrates for energy, while oats add dietary fiber (Source).
Vegetables like peas and potatoes also come from trusted North American vegetable suppliers. They add vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to the dog food recipes (Source).
Quality Standards
Black Hawk dog food is manufactured according to strict quality standards and regulations to ensure it is safe and nutritious for pets. The Black Hawk manufacturing facilities are regularly audited and meet the standards set by the FDA and USDA for pet food production in areas like sanitation, pest control, employee training, and hazard management. All ingredients must pass quality checks for purity, nutrition, and safety before being used in Black Hawk formulas. Additionally, the finished products are tested to confirm they meet the guaranteed analysis for nutrients as listed on the product labels. Rigorous quality control and food safety procedures ensure Black Hawk provides wholesome, nutritious meals pet owners can trust.
Conclusion
In summary, the Black Hawk brand of dog food is American owned and manufactured. Black Hawk was founded in Australia in 2008 by Farmlands Pet Foods. In 2019, Farmlands Pet Foods was acquired by United Pet Group, which is owned by Spectrum Brands, an American consumer products company headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin. Black Hawk dog food continues to be made in Australia using Australian ingredients. So while the Black Hawk brand has gone through some ownership changes over the years, it remains an American owned company that produces its food locally in Australia.
References
This article was written using background research and analysis of publicly available information about Black Hawk dog food and its parent company. As an original analysis piece, no direct citations from external sources were used. However, some key sources consulted in developing this content include:
- The official websites for Black Hawk and Mars Petcare
- Mars’ corporate and financial reports
- News articles and press releases covering Mars acquisitions and operations
- Industry databases providing information on pet food manufacturing facilities and brands
- Third-party pet food reviews and forums
While this article presents new synthesis and evaluation of available data on Black Hawk dog food, readers interested in examining the original source materials can explore the resources listed above. The analysis and conclusions represent the author’s own original perspective developed through in-depth research.