Grizo going in new directions

Grizo has a long tradition to look back on as one of Belgium’s leading wholesale companies offering a range of 6 000 products. Henri De Grijze established the company with his son Dennis in 1965 under the name Grijze & Son, or Grizo for short. In 1997, the firm was taken over by Filip Vandemoortele and his wife Edith. Its headquarters were relocated from Roeselare to Pittem shortly afterwards.

Having been limited for a long time to products for caged and wild birds, ornamental fish and small animals, the assortment was subsequently extended to the dog and cat segments. The focus in all pet categories is on accessories. By expanding its range, Grizo also satisfied the request of its retail customers, who are likewise giving greater priority to the dog and cat categories in their stores. To be able to accommodate the augmented range, ­Grizo has increased its warehouse space. The numerous well-known brands marketed by ­Grizo include Eheim, JR Farm, Nina Ottosson, Nylabone, Outward Hound and Zoomed, to name but a few. Employing around 30 people, the company supplies only the pet product trade and has no supermarkets or self-service grocery stores among its ­customers.

Another arm of Grizo’s business is its operation as a manufacturing facility. In 2015, it acquired the company Braet, which specialised in the production of bird food. The plant in Moorslede, in which food manufacturer Dumoulin Futtermittel once also produced feed for livestock and pet food, has been completely modernised and fully automated. With the aid of solar panels, Gri­zo has rendered production at the plant entirely climate-neutral.

Due to increased demand, the company has steadily expanded its export activities in recent years. As well as the Benelux region, France, Germany and other EU states, the Middle East now features more prominently among Grizo’s export destinations.