Interview with Randy Boyd, Radio Systems
Randy Boyd is the CEO of Radio Systems Corporation, which produces dog and cat products under the PetSafe brand name. Pet Insight had the opportunity to talk with Boyd about PetSafe’s preferred retail partners, their flagship products and more.
Pet Insight: Who do you see as your major competition?
Randy Boyd: This is difficult to answer. We have nine different business units and are in over 40 countries, so it varies greatly by each of these variables. However, in nearly every category penetration is very low so our biggest opportunity is increasing awareness and growing demand.
PI: What new types of items, if any, will you begin producing this year?
RB: We recently launched the “Edison Project” in which we launched over 40 new innovative products at Global Pet Expo.
PI: What would you consider to be your “flagship” product or line?
RB: Pet containment, or as many describe as “invisible fencing”, is still our largest category, but pet doors, pet training devices such as bark collars, are also significant. We are experiencing rapid growth in many of our new categories, such as pet fountains, self-cleaning litter boxes and consumables.
PI: How was your company affected by the recession? What measures did they take to remain profitable?
RB: Profitability was never an issue, but maintaining our growth rate was more challenging. However, we took advantage of the downturn to do acquisitions. We have acquired over ten companies in the last five years.
PI: Are you satisfied with PetSafe’s online presence?
RB: We are never satisfied with anything, but I am proud of the work that our team has done. Our primary purpose on-line is strengthening our brands relationship with the consumer and we believe we have done a good job with that.
PI: What types of retailers do you prefer working with?
RB: We need those that provide high quality, high touch service. Our consumers need knowledgeable experts to buy from, and so like retailers that invest heavily in training their staff.