Today we’d like to introduce you to Keith Benson.
Hi Keith, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We started as a small dog training and boarding company in 1995 in Tucson, AZ, with six kennels in my business partner’s backyard. Back then, we primarily trained dogs for a sport called Schutzhund, which is high-level obedience, tracking, and protection, but we also trained companion and competitive obedience, as well as agility, conformation, and other dog sports. Knowing that we had a larger vision for the company led us on a search throughout the US for property that ultimately brought us to our current home in Hutto. We now sit on a 360-acre ranch and have grown up to 200 indoor/outdoor climate-controlled kennels, multiple dog activity areas, two dog parks, and a training building. Our first class of students at our international school for professional dog trainers graduated in 2000. Students come to us from all over the world to learn the art and science of dog training and behavior. The hands-on experience that we gain from working with dogs, our students, and our clients on a daily basis led us to start our own pet product line, where we specialize in interactive toys, as well as treats and training tools. Since our first product sales in 2003, we now sell in over eight thousand pet specialty stores throughout the US, including Petsmart, Petco, Pet Supplies, Plus, and Tractor Supply, as well as 45 countries worldwide. To further our product development, we opened an onsite state-of-the-art manufacturing facility where we make all our treats and most of our toys that are sold in North America.
Wall Street Journal once cited us as Doggy Disney World, but it’s more than just playing with dogs and dog toys at Starmark. As a state regulated educational institution, we are constantly challenging ourselves to improve our training methodologies and enhance our ability to communicate with dogs. An instrumental part of our curriculum is sheltering and training rescue dogs from the local community. To date, we have helped over four thousand abandoned pets find their forever homes.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our beginnings as a small training kennel were easy, and improving the quality of life between people and their pets was something we were already passionate about as pet enthusiasts. That mission transferred well into our philosophy of keeping pets happy in their homes and became our driving force as we grew our business from the back yard to one of the largest pet education facilities in the United States. The more we grew, the more difficulties we encountered. Along with persistent economic pressures, we faced the challenge of scaling a niche business to a multi-faceted corporation that maintained our mission and core values. There have been regulatory obstacles, geopolitical unrest, trade disruptions and technological adaptations to overcome. I do my best to surround myself with a talented staff who share our vision and lean on consultants for professional guidance when needed. We have a solid road map for future growth initiatives, and we are excited for what lies ahead.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Starmark is known internationally for our interactive toys and treats. Our cardinal products are the Everlasting Toys and accompanying proprietary Everlasting Treats, which are puzzle toys where the dog must figure out how to remove the chew from inside the toy. We make interactive toys that provide mental stimulation and alleviate boredom, supporting our initiative of keeping dogs out of the shelter system and happy in their homes. We have over 40 patents tied to over 150 items sold around the world. The creation of these items trickled down from our experiences in day-to-day animal behavior education while working with our students and customers. The rescue dogs going through training at our school for dog trainers are a significant part of this system. Over the last 20 years, we have trained and found forever homes for over 4,000 relinquished pets.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up an adventurous child in the South. My grandfather built my first minibike when I was in kindergarten, and that led to a lifelong fervor for anything with two wheels and a motor. I was fortunate that my parents were supportive, and I believe that helped shape in me a mindset that anything is possible, and you can go anywhere if you keep pushing forward. I studied psychology at university, and that led to my first job as a psychometrist in a forensic field. Ultimately, I found myself conducting psychological evaluations on death row inmates at Parchman Prison in Mississippi, and I learned much about the inner psyche that causes some people to do terrible things. It was stressful, and in my off time, I found relief in training my Australian Cattle Dog. I took a six-month leave of absence from that job to attend a school for dog trainers, which is where I met my now business partner. Not long after graduating as a dog trainer, I moved to Tucson, and I’ve been with the company since.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.starmarkacademy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starmark_petproducts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarmarkPetProducts/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StarmarkPetProducts
Image Credits
Emily Benson
