Contract Manufacturing Pet Treats | Our Team

Preston Munsch

CEO

Preston has spent more than 20 years in the animal nutrition industry, and the last four at the helm of PetDine. Throughout his career, he has helped brands across the globe develop and bring products to market.

He followed his father Ken into the family business of animal nutrition, joining him at Loomix as the president of the specialty products division. While there, Preston worked with the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) to create their Equine Committee, which now 15 years later, has become a strong voice and advocate within the industry.

A Nebraska Cornhusker, Preston is a huge sports fan. He is a former professional television and radio play-by-play announcer, who covered the College World Series, NASCAR, and Division 1 college hockey. He had the pleasure of interviewing some of the greatest athletes of all-time including Sandy Koufax, L.A. Dodgers pitcher; Stan Musial, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder; and Julius Erving (Dr. J), NBA champion and hall of famer.

Preston’s best friend is his dog Scarlett.

Ken Munsch

Managing Partner

Ken Munsch

Managing Partner

Ken is a leader and innovator in the animal nutrition industry. Throughout his career, he has helped more than 1,000 new businesses break into the industry and has generated more than 10,000 new job opportunities. Ken has been a featured speaker at multiple industry and non-industry events, and was included in the book, “50 Entrepreneurs: Thriving in Uncertain Times,” for his ownership and management experience at Cattleman’s Choice Loomix, LLC.

His contributions to the industry were recognized in 2008, when he was inducted in the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) Liquid Feed Hall of Fame. Ken previously served on the Executive AFIA Board of Directors and has served two terms on the AFIA Board of Directors.

Ken has been married to Dolly, his high school sweetheart, since 1972, and enjoys working with his son Preston at PetDine.

Kurt Stricker

Managing Partner

Kurt Stricker

Managing Partner

Kurt owned and operated a retail wholesale bakery for 15 years. He is passionate about giving pets the same quality ingredients and great taste that people enjoy. This desire to produce human-like treats for pets led him to start Pedigree Ovens and the Pound Bakery in 1997.

As PetDine’s director of production, he oversees our state-of-the-art SQF Certified facility in Harvard, Illinois. Kurt holds a bachelor’s degree in food science with a minor in business management from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has also completed baking manufacturing training from AIB International.

Jessica Anderson

Quality Technician/Export Specialist

Jessica Anderson

Quality Technician/Export Specialist

Jessica grew up in the middle of Colorado rafting and climbing local fourteeners. She then went to Colorado State University for Microbiology, and transitioned into working on zoonotic diseases and vaccines in Animal Science and Research at CSU for private contracts and companies.

Jessica has 10 years of experience in microbiology, animal sciences, and quality.
She have three cats – yes three- Dexter, Moe, and Mira, and two of them think that they are dogs.
In her spare time Jessica is an avid reader, love the outdoors- hiking, camping, paddle boarding, and rafting.

Shane Basinger

Human Resources Manager

Shane Basinger

Human Resources Manager

Shane was born in a small town in Western Kansas. He moved to Fort Collins when he was four and has been here ever since. Shane’s parents and sister are also in Fort Collins. He Attended the University of Northern Colorado with a B.S. in Psychology.

Shane enjoys hanging out with his wife and dog Daisy (Black Lab Mix Rescue), bike riding, hanging out in the alley with our friends and neighbors, and watching Kansas Jayhawks basketball, Kansas City Chiefs football and pretty much all sports.

Justin Boling

Director of Marketing

Justin Boling

Director of Marketing

Justin, a data geek at heart, joined PetDine and jumped into the pet industry in 2020, with nearly 20 years in marketing, product development, and senior management roles across multiple industries including construction, publishing, and non-profit. He has a track record of developing and launching brands and products to market. He has a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and Religious Studies from Colorado State University.

As an avid sports fan, Justin loves watching everything from curling and cricket to soccer and football. He is especially fond of the Denver Broncos, Manchester City, Kansas Jayhawks, Colorado State Rams, and any other Colorado-based sports team.

When he is not geeking out on data and creating marketing processes, Justin can be found driving one or more of his five children to any number of their activities, working out at the nearest CrossFit box, or dating his wife. As a Fort Collins, CO native he also holds dear his secret camping spots that only he and their toy Australian Shepard Hank, named after Hank Williams, know about.

Mary Bolinger

Purchasing Assistant

Mary Bolinger

Purchasing Assistant

As our client relations and accounting assistant, Mary works directly with our clients, providing them with exceptional support. She has eight years of customer service and support experience. Before she started working in the pet industry, she managed a reservation department for the Fairfax County Park Authority for several years.

Mary was born and raised in northern Virginia but made her way west to Colorado in the Spring of 2019 – and even before she started working in the pet industry, she knew she had a deep-rooted love for animals. She grew up fostering dogs, rescuing guinea pigs and once even rehabilitated a squirrel for six months. She loves hiking, camping, crafting and spoiling her two border collies, Kenai and his son Luda, with homemade dog treats.

Gretchen Burdekin

Customer Relations Manager

Gretchen Burdekin

Customer Relations Manager

As our Client Relations Manager, Gretchen joined the PetDine team in spring of 2021. She comes from a non-profit background and has managed growing teams in ever-changing environments and a focus on delivering exceptional customer service.

In her spare time, Gretchen enjoys baking for a crowd, embarking on small adventures, and relaxing at home with her cat Savannah.

Sarah Crowdes

Purchasing Assistant

Sarah Crowdes

Purchasing Assistant

Sarah has a background in scheduling, procurement and inventory management. From manufacturing to supply chain she feels like she can tackle it all and be an asset to the PetDine team. She is a Colorado native who married an outsider from Missouri. Together they have a son Henry and a daughter Riley that keeps them busy when not working. When not at PetDine she enjoys projects around the house and is excited to have new adventures with a new to the family pop up camper. Sarah has many pets from aquatic frogs, fish, Dragon the cat, two dogs Cricket and Leto.

Dani Davis

Nutrition Specialist

Dani Davis

Nutrition Specialist

Dani joined PetDine in 2021 as a Nutrition Specialist. As a proud dog mom herself, she is excited to work in the pet food industry by helping to make a difference in the health and well-being of pets, through the delivery of products of optimal nutritional value. She is originally from Athens, Greece, and moved to Colorado in 2001 to pursue first a Master’s, and then a Doctorate degree, in Animal Sciences (with a concentration in Food Microbiology) from Colorado State University. Dani has previous experience in food manufacturing, food microbiology, food safety, quality assurance, and research & development roles.

In her free time, she likes spending time with her husband, her son, and their Maltipoo, watching movies, and traveling.

Amelia Den Boer

Sustainability Manager

Amelia Den Boer

Sustainability Manager

Amelia graduated from Aquinas College (Go Saints!) in 2013 with a degree in Sustainable Business and came to PetDine and the pet industry in 2021 after spending some time in a variety of other industries, including footwear, automation, and even a zoo. She is so excited to combine her passion for sustainability with her love for animals.

Outside of work, Amelia enjoys hiking, kayaking, and spending time with her husband and their greyhound, Margo, and cat, Eliot. When she’s not at home, Amelia might be anywhere in the world as her favorite hobby is traveling and exploring.

Suzy Ferrin

Executive Administrative Assistant

Suzy Ferrin

Executive Administrative Assistant

Joining the team as our Executive Administrative Assistant, Suzy brings over 15 years of office administration and project management experience. We all have a little nerd in us and when it comes to processes and workflow systems, Suzy’s nerd flag soars high—but more than anything she loves supporting her team and coming up with strategic ways to simplify life for everyone.

Born and raised in the farmlands of Wisconsin, one of Suzy’s favorite aspects of living in Colorado—besides the gorgeous Rocky Mountains—are the mild winters and the 300+ days of sun! Whenever possible, Suzy and her family are on the trails or the water, soaking up the sun. And when she can’t be outside, she chases the sun patches around the house with her beautiful pit bull Poe.

Tania Gonzalez

Tania has been working in the dog treat business for the past three years, and is a Quality Technician here at PetDine. She is 26 years young, a mother of 3, and is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico! Tania loves what she does, and most of all who she works with. When she is not at work, she is always busy with her many blessings.

Jason Higer

Maintenance Technician

Jason Higer

Maintenance Technician

Wade Hunsinger

Maintenance Manager

Wade Hunsinger

Maintenance Manager

Wade grew up on a small farm in rural Minnesota. It was on that farm that he learned his love and compassion for all animals, domesticated as well as wild. Working on farm equipment and using tools helped form his drive to fabricate and fix all types of machinery. With 20+ years of experience in the field of maintenance and fabrication, ten of those being in management, Wade brings a vast knowledge base in his field.

When not fixing things at work, you can find Wade fixing things on his ranch, or out on the boat fishing with his best friend/wife Jasmine, two dogs(Zaba and Leelou), and three amazing kids. He enjoys being out in nature, family game night, and enjoying every minute of life!

Mike Jarosz

Director of Nutrition

Mike Jarosz

Director of Nutrition

Mike grew up in eastern Nebraska on a farming/cattle feedlot operation. Attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. Then attended Colorado State University for both a Master’s and Doctorate degree in ruminant nutrition. He then spent roughly 6 years with Land O’ Lakes Purina Feed at the time as a Beef Nutritionist in the Midwest. After Purina Mike spent a couple years with Colorado State University as a livestock agent, with a joint appointment at CSU Animal Sciences, teaching a couple classes and helping with research projects. The last few years Mike spent in the feed industry with Cattlemen’s Choice Loomix, LLC, where he met up with Ken and Preston Munsch and then through a couple mergers most recently have served as a Beef Nutritionist/Technical Support role with Quality Liquid Feeds, Inc. Spending several years in the feed industry Mike has had the chance to focus on feed formulation, product development, diet balancing, and answering nutrition questions. He has a son, Isaac, who is a Senior at Fossil Ridge High School and a daughter, Monica, who is a Junior at Fossil. His wife, Suzanne, is a First Grade Teacher at Bacon Elementary in Fort Collins. Mike looks forward to learning more about the scope of pet nutrition, formulation, product development, and serving as a supporting role to the pet sector

Heather Luken

Director of Operations

Heather Luken

Director of Operations

When Heather joined PetDine in 2018 as our director of operations, she brought with her more than 20 years of experience in production and management. Today, she helps ensure our processes are executed flawlessly and that our facilities run efficiently.

She has one of the most unique pets of any member of the PetDine team: a jersey cow named Banana that acts more like a golden retriever than a cow you’ve ever seen. Heather is the mom to three kids and countless barn kitties.

Anna Mesecher

National Sales Manager

Anna Mesecher

National Sales Manager

After growing up as an Air Force kid and living around the world, Anna found herself loving Colorado and never looked back. She graduated from CSU with a degree in Apparel & Merchandising and a minor in Business before beginning her career in Retail Management and Buying. She has been in the sales world for over 10 years and is excited to now utilize her experience in the pet industry, as she has always had a love for animals.

Anna enjoys listening to true crime podcasts, watching Friends, and spending time outdoors with her husband Noah and dog Yoda.

Noah Mesecher

Research and Development Manager

Noah Mesecher

Research and Development Manager

Growing up on the Eastern Plains of Colorado, Noah found a love for animals at a very young age. From rounding up cattle on horseback to playing in the backyard with one of his childhood dogs, his days were always filled with four-legged friends.

Noah graduated from Colorado State University in 2016 and quickly found himself engulfed in the world of fermentation. He spent the next 4 years in the brewing industry, focusing on product and process improvement for several different industry partners. Once the taps ran dry, he decided to pivot to a new industry that captivated another one of his passion’s; animals. This move landed him at PetDine, where he is concentrated on driving innovation in every aspect of the operation. His main goal is to keep PetDine at the forefront of pet health and nutrition.

When he isn’t making pet products, he’s usually serving them to his dog, Yoda. Noah and his wife, Anna, enjoy long walks in the forest, cold beers from Colorado’s fine craft breweries, and card games on the coffee table.

Jeremiah Miknevicius

Raw Materials Mixer

Jeremiah Miknevicius

Raw Materials Mixer

Jeremiah was raised by his father who was a master baker for over 35 years, and worked for a bakery he started for almost 9 years. Jeremiah has one son and two daughters, is married, and is the oldest of 7. His hobbies include fly fishing, all outdoor activities, and adventuring with his family.

Tirrel Miller

Director of Quality

Tirrel Miller

Director of Quality

Tirrel Miller has worked in quality assurance and food safety in some capacity for the last 10 years. She appreciates the way quality management systems minimize risk and help everyone to achieve high standards. She has a passion for the outdoors, frequently mountain biking and rock climbing whenever she can.

Chris Milliken

National Sales Manager

Chris Milliken

National Sales Manager

Chris has more than two decades of experience in the pet food industry, including distribution and manufacturing. In his role at PetDine, he brings a fresh perspective and innovative ideas that help our customers bring their liquid pet supplement ideas to life. Through his memberships in the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the World Pet Association (WPA), Chris stays on the forefront of industry trends and is always ready to share insights with our customers.

When not formulating and selling, Chris can be found skiing and exploring the Colorado back county on his motorcycle. He values spending quality time with his family and two pets, Roxie and Tora.

Katie Papke

Marketing Manager

Katie Papke

Marketing Manager

Katie graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Accounting and Business Administration in 2015. Since then, she has worked various roles in corporate retail for large corporations and start-ups. Her love for learning and pets lead her to her position at PetDine. Katie enjoys a good excel spreadsheet and brainstorming sessions.

A true sports aficionado, Katie can be seen cheering on one of her many sports teams throughout the year: Oregon Ducks, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, Portland Timbers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Portland Thorns.

Katie can be found cuddling with one her golden retrievers Walter Jones (Wally) or Fred Weasley, rewatching the Harry Potter series for the millionth time or enjoying the mountains with her husband Derek.

Steve Randall

Production Manager for NutraDine

Steve Randall

Production Manager for NutraDine

Steve was born in Guam and has 3 brothers and 3 sisters. His dad retired from the Air Force in Colorado Springs, and that’s where he attended Junior High and High School. He graduated from USC, which is now Colorado State University-Pueblo, with a degree in Mass Communications: Marketing and Advertising. His first few jobs out of college were working in high tech manufacturing, and he has worked within the manufacturing industry ever since. His 30-year career spans start-ups and Fortune 500 companies including 25 + years in the beverage industry. Over his career, he has always looked for better ways of doing things.

He and his wife Cathy spent the last 5 years in beautiful, but cold Minnesota. They were both excited to move back to Colorado in 2020. Cathy is a Colorado native, and they have two daughters that were born in Fort Collins, CO. Allison is an artist and Alicia is a geologist working for a mine in Montana. They have two dogs Mojo and Pearl, and two cats Major Tom, and Hobs. Steve enjoys golf, fishing, and hanging out with family and friends.

Dustin Reimer

Project Manager

Dustin Reimer

Project Manager

Dustin has spent over 15 years in various industries including injection molding, automotive, medical CNC machining, oil & gas and green energy where he has held a variety of positions. He comes to PetDine in with 3 years experience in project management that improved safety, quality, delivery and cost. He has Technical Diplomas in CNC Machining and Automotive Technology.

Dustin was born and raised in Indiana, but has lived in various states around the country, including Colorado twice. Outside work, he and his wife enjoy travelling, exploring different restaurants and breweries, and taking care of their home.

Brooke Reittinger

Assistant Controller

Brooke Reittinger

Assistant Controller

Brooke graduated from the University of Virginia and started her accounting career as the office manager of a dude ranch outside of Buffalo, WY. She eventually moved back east, met her husband and continued along the accounting path. In the Spring of 2017, she finally convinced her husband to move to venture west to Fort Collins, CO and hasn’t looked back since!

Brooke grew up in a family that rescued dogs, cats, and the occasional rabbit. Not to mention she grew up riding horses. Currently, she is the mom to a 10-year-old rescue hound dog, Lacy.

When not at work, she can be found gardening, walking the dog or cooking. If you get the chance to speak with her be sure to ask about her famous Twix Bar Blondies!

Denis Rice

Chief Financial Officer

Denis Rice

Chief Financial Officer

Denis joined PetDine in 2019, bringing nearly 35 years of experience in accounting and finance. He started his career as a CPA in public auditing before moving into the private industry. He has spent most of his career with manufacturing companies, including packaging, animal nutrition, printing, and medical devices. During his career, he helped two companies grow and be acquired by Fortune 500 companies.

Having worked with Ken and Preston at Cattleman’s Choice Loomix, LLC, Denis jumped at the chance to join PetDine, and is thrilled to be in this exciting industry. He has a bachelor’s degree in business management and real estate and a master’s degree in accounting.

A third-generation native Coloradan, Denis loves home improvement projects. He just finished his basement and is now working on a water feature. Denis is a serial standard poodle owner; his current (and third) poodle is Leila.

Devin Sanders

National Sales Manager

Devin Sanders

National Sales Manager

Technically proficient and passionate about providing excellent customer service, Devin has more than 15 years of experience implementing innovative go-to-market strategies and sales initiatives. Prior to joining PetDine, he spent his career working for leading consumer product manufacturers, including Hewlett-Packard, VIZIO, and Lenovo.

As a lifetime lover of animals – and the proud owner of a dog and a cat – Devin loves putting his natural sales abilities and strategic experience to use helping our customers create brand advocacy and preference for their products in the pet industry.

Like any good Coloradan, Devin is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys camping, hiking, fishing, and skiing.

Sarah Sanders

Quality Intern

Sarah Sanders

Quality Intern

I am a Quality Control Intern here at Pet Dine and have learned so much from all my amazing coworkers. Outside of work, I spent the last half a year finishing up my Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry at Colorado State University! This fall I will be returning to school to work on my Master’s Degree in Chemistry. Between school and work I spend my time playing with my pug Pickles.

Marissa Serna

Customer Service Labeler

Marissa Serna

Customer Service Labeler

Marissa recently joined PetDine as the new Customer Service/Labeler in 2021, and has worked in customer service for the past 10 years. Born and raised in Greeley, she has 3 siblings, 1 older and 2 younger. Marissa also has a 4 year old white German Shepherd named Kai, who she adores.

Marissa enjoys spending time with family, playing with her dog, and watching softball. She is also a big fan of the UCLA Bruins! If she’s not doing those things, Marissa is watching or reading about crime, since she is interested in the forensic psychology field.

Lorraine Shade

Client Relations Manager

Lorraine Shade

Client Relations Manager

Jay Sokolowski

Senior Operations Manager

Jay Sokolowski

Senior Operations Manager

Jay grew up on a small farm in northwest Iowa where he helped raise corn, soybeans, and hogs. After high school, Jay attended Iowa State University where he received his BS in Aerospace Engineering. From there, he was recruited by the US Navy and served as a nuclear submarine officer for 12 years, deploying on two submarines and several shore duty stations. He met his now-wife, Irene, in Hawaii and resigned his commission to start his civilian life. Jay and his wife moved to California where he worked in Silicon Valley for a capital equipment company, co-managing the final integration team making patterned wafer inspection systems. After their second child, they decided that California was a bit too hectic to raise a family and they moved to Colorado. Jay worked at a high-end optics company in several roles, the final being the Product Line Manager for the Prisms and Flats line. From there, he accepted a position at an Advanced Composite manufacturer, managing the operations.

When not at work, Jay likes to ski, hike, bike, and whenever possible spend time on the lake. He has three teenagers and a rescue dog named Nugget.

Brent Stromberger

Shipping & Receiving Lead

Brent Stromberger

Shipping & Receiving Lead

Born and raised in Greeley, CO, Brent has also lived in Las Vegas, NV for 8 years and San Diego, CA for 5 ½ years. He loves to play and watch all sports in his spare time. Brent has raised 1 pocket poodle, 2 basset hounds, 1 Corgi, and 1 French Bulldog in his life. Brent loves the outdoors as well!

Lindsey Sullivan

Client Relations & Accounting Assistant

Lindsey Sullivan

Client Relations & Accounting Assistant

Lindsey came to PetDine in 2021 and recently moved to Berthoud, CO with her boyfriend and 6-year-old son. Together they have a 2-year-old English Bulldog named Birdee. Lindsey is in client relations which deals with pre and post-production, along with billing and client communications. Lindsey has mostly a client services background, although she did drive a tow truck for a short time. She and her family like to ride motorcycles, and also enjoy going to concerts.

Troy Summey

Warehouse Manager

Troy Summey

Warehouse Manager

Born and raised in Windsor, Troy has a large very close family mostly in the area. He has a wife named Tiffany, 19 year old daughter named Sierra, 2 dogs named Cash & June, and 1 cat named Oswald Cobblepot. When not at work Troy enjoys photography, fishing, sports, music and driving around the Colorado mountains.

Troy has 20+ years experience in management, shipping, receiving, inventory, quality control, procurement, manufacturing and production. Troy previously lived in Oregon for 10 years where he managed NIKE Golf.

Jennifer Waterman

Accounting Associate

Jennifer Waterman

Accounting Associate

Jennifer graduated from college with a degree in fashion design, then decided accounting was more her style! She has been working in the accounting field now for 6 years. Jennifer just moved to Colorado when she got the job at PetDine in November 2020. Her sister lives here and she wanted to be closer to her.

In her spare time Jennifer enjoys sewing, crafting, cooking, gardening, and taking in any stray animals that seem to show up on her property. Out of all of her animals, Lola is the only one that was “planned”. The rest of Jennifer’s pets (which don’t even include Minnie’s mother and 2 sisters that she re-homed to my sister) have been accidental finds and foster “fails” that she couldn’t stand to give away once she got them.

Chris Weaver

Production Manager

Chris Weaver

Production Manager

Growing up in Tennessee, Chris loves the outdoors. Whether it be camping, biking or out on the water, the outdoors became a part of him.

A professional who has worked in a multitude of leadership positions,Chris has been involved in the military and in the private sector. Chris’ experience thus far has been 12 years in the United States Army Rangers progressing through the ranks, starting as a private and exiting as a Staff Sergeant. Chris’s Private Sector position was in Production, where he worked his way to become a trusted member of the team and trained new employees. Chris currently holds an undergraduate in Business Management from DeVry University and working on a BSA in project management from DeVry University. Chris joined PetDine in October 2020 and hopes to bring all the skills he has learned to the table to make PetDine purr.

When not working, Chris enjoys being with his fiancé Gabby and two kids, Tyler and Laylamae, exploring the mountains, traveling to different countries, and partaking in the craft breweries that Colorado has to offer.

Dani Weedin

Director Of Procurement

Dani Weedin

Director Of Procurement

Dani came to PetDine and the pet industry in 2019, after spending more than 15 years in management, procurement, and customer service roles for the educational music and juvenile buggy and soft carrier industries. She holds a bachelor’s degree in logistics and accounting from Colorado State University.

She has played the French horn for more than half her life, and performs with several northern Colorado community groups. Her pets, Rockett and Charlie, keep her busy when she’s not working.

Lesley Youngson

Account Associate

Lesley Youngson

Account Associate

Lesley is originally from Omaha, Nebraska and moved to Colorado in 1977. She also spent 6 years in the Bay Area of Northern California, where she worked for Amica Insurance. After returning to Colorado, and 26 years in the Investigations Division with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office as an administrative and research tech, Lesley went back to school and recently graduated from Front Range Community College in accounting.

Lesley loves animals and has always rescued both dogs and cats. She currently has a rescued 16 year old Lynx Point Ragdoll cat named Lilly, who is quite the character and just as much fun as a dog!

Lesley has one son and two grandkids that she enjoys spending time with, along with the rest of her family who are all close by. Lesley and her family enjoy getting together on weekends and playing cards and board games. She also enjoys music, going to concerts, photography, and gardening.

Jennifer Zazula

Quality Control Technician

Jennifer Zazula

Quality Control Technician

Jennifer brings more than 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical research and testing to PetDine. She also has a background in developing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems and standard operating procedures for an agribusiness ingredient company.

She lives on a small farm in Harvard, Illinois, with her husband, daughter, and an abundance of animals. Her pets include canines Bella, Sig, and Gunnar; felines Mustache, Jose, and Hobo; and horses Hustle and Shrek. When she’s not working – or caring for the animals – you can find Jennifer on the lake or an ATV, soaking up the fresh air.

Pets of PetDine

Of course, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to share why we’re so passionate about this industry.
Here are some of our beloved canine, feline, and animal friends.