Chris Onthank founder and owner of Nano Pet Products.
Nano Pet Products of Wilton has gone the Jimi Hendrix route to popularity: bringing its wares to Europe, earning them acclaim and, in turn, shelf space at home.
“I am a canine behaviorist,” said Chris Onthank founder and owner of Nano Pet Products.
Onthank owns a kennel, Dog Gone Smart, in Norwalk.
Four years ago, a representative from Schoeller India, and Indian fabric manufacturer, part of Schoeller Technologies in Switzerland, came to Onthank to test market fabrics.
“It was amazing; the product worked so well, but there was no way to get them for the entire kennel,” said Onthank. “They didn”™t have a licensee to do this and I said what about me?”
Onthank said the fabric”™s notable difference is that it uses a surface that coat oil, dirt, and liquids run off and any residue can be rinsed off with water or machine washed. According to Onthank, the beds last for years, as opposed to months.
“The amount of water used to wash them is greatly reduced,” said Onthank. “They dry faster so you”™re also saving on energy and water consumption. Nano just means a billionth of a meter, it”™s anything being manufactured at that level.”
The Nano products are approved by Blue Sign, an international housekeeping grader for product quality.?Onthank realized the potential of the product and became a proponent of the product and the owner of Nano Pet Products. Onthank said areas of Europe and Asia were the first markets to be open to the product through trade shows. Nano has recently earned distributing space at Petco stores.
“I had the U.S. exclusive,” said Onthank. “Then about a year ago we signed the worldwide exclusive for NanoSphere products in the pet industry and also equine. We started making dog beds. This technology is a solution in the pet industry to the major problem that dog beds get dirty and need to be thrown out.”
According to Onthank, the oil in a dogs coat is typically what collects bacteria on dog products.
“Most dog beds in the US end up in landfills after a couple of months,” said Onthank.
Onthank said the company”™s goal is to bring cleaner and healthier pet products to pet owners worldwide. The brand recently debuted its equine line Dog Gone Smart, Horse Wear.
“Our partners and clients rely on Dog Gone Smart to provide products that are not only cost-effective and environmentally friendly, but also durable and long-lasting,” said Onthank.
Onthank said he is currently seeking co-branding partners to expand the use of Dog Gone Smart Technology using NanoSphere in the international pet industry.
