--- title: "Pet Industry Group Launches New Startup-Specific Membership Category" id: "50056" type: "post" slug: "pet-industry-group-launches-new-startup-specific-membership-category" published_at: "2020-04-29T20:39:19+00:00" modified_at: "2020-04-29T20:39:19+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/04/29/pet-industry-group-launches-new-startup-specific-membership-category/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/04/29/pet-industry-group-launches-new-startup-specific-membership-category.md" excerpt: "The American Pet Products Association is building a limited tier, targeted at new businesses, that aims to help startups get essential resources for getting off the ground." taxonomy_category: - "Business Development" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "pet industry" - "startups" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" taxonomy_persona: - "Industry Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Pet Industry Group Launches New Startup-Specific Membership Category The pet-care industry is traditionally known as a big business worth tens of billions of dollars annually. In fact, the most recent annual report from the American Pet Products Association found that the industry as a whole [hit $95.7 billion in sales in 2019 (opens in a new tab)](https://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_releasedetail.asp?id=205) , a record high. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for new players. Far from it. Recently, APPA launched a new member category, Right Start Membership, that aims to help new and emerging pet product businesses find necessary resources to succeed in the field. [In a news release (opens in a new tab)](https://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_releasedetail.asp?id=209) , APPA CEO Steve King noted that the member tier comes out of a growing demand among entrepreneurs to join the field—and APPA’s desire to help encourage that approach. “As the pet care community continues to evolve, more and more entrepreneurs are setting their sights on doing business in this industry,” King stated. “APPA recognizes our responsibility to encourage growth through innovation and that start-ups play an integral role in ensuring the pet industry remains vibrant.” The membership tier allows startups access to APPA resources for market research, public relations, import and export assistance, regulatory information, and education. One thing it does not offer access to is the association’s primary event, the Global Pet Expo, but APPA notes that the expectation of the membership tier is that it will create a path for new businesses to eventually find a place on the tradeshow floor. As a result, the membership program is only offered for a limited time basis of one year. “APPA offers startups unparalleled access to pet industry information, people and resources you need to succeed,” [the group states on its membership page (opens in a new tab)](https://www.americanpetproducts.org/member/nonexhibitor.asp) . (Kameleon007/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. 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