Every story has a beginning. Ours began in November of 1949 when our founder, F. Harold Brasie, established Middle West Pet Foods Inc. Prior to that Harold was a constable in Cook County, Illinois.  Now, law enforcement might seem like a strange way to get into the pet food business, but Harold was the consummate entrepreneur, and things were different back then.

America was recovering economically from World War II. Popular livestock such as cattle, poultry, and swine was expensive and uneconomical as dogfood ingredients. However, most Americans didn’t have a hankering for horsemeat; so, it became a primary ingredient in premium dog foods. It was at this time when Constable Brasie began lending money to help several Nebraskans transport horsemeat into Illinois, where it was processed into dog food. Eventually, the Nebraskans asked Harold to run the business and systemize its operation. Harold readily agreed.

At first, Middle West Distributors, Inc. rented space from an ice company in Chicago. By 1951 we had our first warehouse in River Forest, Illinois. Changes in the pet food industry were underway. Horsemeat was removed as an ingredient in dog food over consumer objections. This also marked the time when William Brasie, Harold’s son, entered the business, adding a distribution company to source other types of animal foods and pet supplies. With William at the helm, Middle West was now a genuine family business.

Today, the third and fourth generation of Brasies manages Middle West Distributors, Inc. They continue the family tradition of innovation and growth.

“We’ve molded our company into one of the premier dog and cat food distributors in the Midwest,” said Phil Brasie, president of the company. “We specialize in the best possible food of the nutrition spectrum along with servicing some of the finest independent dealers with these labels.”