Brandon is a Co-Founder and President of Meridian Biotech. Meridian, founded in 2017, is an industrial biotechnology company based in Lexington, Kentucky. He began his career as a ‘hands-on’ project manager and then Chief Operating Officer overseeing engineering teams and various projects in Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Thailand, and India before becoming President in 2022. In addition to these projects, Brandon played a pivotal role in collaborating with the team to secure government research grants through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for biomedical research and a grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), in partnership with Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, to produce alternative protein from microbes using only air, water, and electricity for military and disaster relief operations. Brandon is a graduate of Virginia Tech.
You have a rich career in the industry, what initially led you to this field?
Today, pet owners are prioritising more sustainable and environmentally friendly products. I am convinced that science and innovative technologies like Meridian’s can play a vital role to produce value-added and multifunctional feed ingredients. We are incredibly proud of our talented team at Meridian. Our scientists and engineers have the passion and dedication to fuel our success and revolutionise the food and feed industries. Our corporate mission is to harness the power of technology and scientific advancements to deliver innovative and environmentally sustainable solutions for the complex challenges within the petfood industry.
What do you see as the most promising developments and innovations in the petfood industry moving forward?
As the petfood industry continues to experience exponential growth, alternative proteins will play a pivotal role for innovation throughout the industry. The development of these ingredients and products can be customised and provide a healthier solution for consumers, while reducing the environmental impacts. Utilising these alternative proteins will provide customers with a diverse portfolio of ingredients, while keeping up with market and consumer demand.
What are the new trends in the petfood industry and how does your company fit into this model?
The inclusion of functional ingredients that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition is on the rise and will continue to develop for years to come. Meridian’s vision is to provide petfood manufacturers with ingredients that encompass traceability, enhanced palatability, probiotic properties, and antioxidants to offer a more nutritious and wholesome product.
As pet ownership increases, how do you balance the essential sustainability needs with the growing demand for petfood, and what difficulties do you see the industry facing?
The petfood industry is facing a shortage of raw materials, rising costs, and environmental impacts. By harnessing byproducts and transforming these raw materials into multifunctional ingredients, we can offer more sustainable alternatives for the industry, while maintaining the integrity of the existing supply chain.
Looking ahead, what do you foresee as the most significant opportunity and challenge for the petfood industry, particularly concerning sustainability and responsible sourcing?
The future of the petfood industry presents significant challenges, particularly in maintaining competitiveness while simultaneously meeting the growing demand for high-quality products and ingredients. The advancement of alternative protein technologies presents an opportunity to provide customers with options that, not only meet their functional requirements, but also offer additional nutritional benefits backed by solid science and sourced responsibly.
Published in the February 2025 issue of International Petfood.
