Mark Pieloch is the founder of five highly successful pharmaceutical enterprises that focus on animal health. At a time when many businesses struggle to stay afloat, his current businesses, PF Inc. and PSPC Inc., have not only survived, but also thrived.

In 1975, after graduating seventh in his high school graduating class of 385, Pieloch went on to pursue advanced pharmacy degrees at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, graduating magna cum laude. His thesis was based on his research involving the ocular effects of Delta 9 THC for the treatment of glaucoma.

From 1981 to 1983, he began laying the groundwork for his future entrepreneurship by getting a master’s in business administration from the University of Michigan. He majored in Operations Management and International Business, again graduating magna cum laude. After college, Pieloch worked a variety of jobs in the pharmaceutical industry, including work as a pharmacy manager, registered pharmacist and research scientist. In 1985, he began working at SmithKline Beecham Animal Health in various capacities, working his way up to director of the Pharmaceutical Development division. He left SmithKline Beecham in 1990 and started his first business, Pharma Chemie, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Pharma Chemie mission was to provide high quality, palatable private label dog, cat and horse nutritional supplements that tasted good and were easy to administer. Pieloch started Pet Flavors (PF Inc.) in 2003, a company dedicated to developing the most palatable flavors to encourage dogs, cats and horses to readily accept medications. He continued his research and in 2007 obtained a U.S. patent for phycocyanin as a treatment for arthritis in non-human mammals. Derived from an extract of blue-green algae, phycocyanin is a proven COX-2 selective agent that relieves arthritis discomfort and reduces inflammation quickly without side effects. This led to his product Phycox Canine Soft Chews (PSPC Inc.) in 2008. Sold to the public only through veterinarians, Phycox is a highly palatable, safe and effective treatment for arthritis in dogs and horses.

Pieloch sold Pharma Chemie in 2012 to concentrate on his core businesses, PF Inc. and PSPC Inc. As other businesses floundered, both PF Inc. and PSPC Inc. prospered. A large part of the success of both businesses comes from his unique skills and background. Pieloch’s education and research skills ensure the continued advancement of the flavor and animal nutritional supplement segments of his businesses. His unflagging dedication to his mission drives him to succeed. Deeply respectful of the emotional bond between humans and their companion animals, Pieloch’s mission has always been to keep the bond strong by finding a way to make it easy to administer medicine and improve a pet’s quality of life. His education and business experience gives him the ability to navigate through recent economic downturns with flexibility and conservative spending.

First and foremost, Mark Pieloch does what he loves. Making the world a better place for pets and their humans using his exceptional research skills is what drives him. As a long time business owner, he knows that the unexpected happens and uses what he has learned over the years to bounce back from adversity. He defines what it means to be an entrepreneur.

Mark Pieloch, like most other successful entrepreneurs, found a way to combine his talents and interests to build a business that is not only lucrative, but rewarding as well. An accomplished scientist, he has a strong desire to improve the lives of horses and dogs and help them live better, happier and healthier lives. Back in 1978, however, when Pieloch earned his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, he never dreamed where it would lead.

A naturally gifted scientist, Pieloch completed the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy five-year bachelor’s program in just three and a half years. He graduated magna cum laude and immediately went on to get his master’s in industrial pharmacy. With an eye on the corporate world, he went to the University of Michigan and graduated with a master’s in business administration. Pieloch worked at several pharmacies, but it wasn’t until he became researcher, manager and eventually the director of Pharmaceutical Development for SmithKline Beecham Animal Health that his true calling became apparent. Here, he realized that he could combine his skills with his love for animals and help millions of dogs, cats and horse live healthier than before.

In 1990, Pieloch started his first company, Pharma Chemie. Created to develop better tasting and more palatable flavors of pet medicines and supplements, the company’s ultimate mission was to make it easier for pet owners to administer veterinary recommended dosages. As any pet owner knows, getting a dog or a cat to take medicine they don’t want to take is nearly impossible. Medications that are tasty make giving the correct supplement or medicinal dosage much easier.

In 2003, Pieloch started Pet Flavors, Inc. (PF Inc.) to develop good tasting, palatable flavor bases as additives for chewable tablets, granules and soft chew supplements and medication for cats, dogs and horses. Appealing flavors for cats and dogs include beef and meat flavors and sweet apple and molasses for horses. Flavor acceptance rates for dogs are over 95 percent, over 90 percent for cats and over 97 percent for horses. Clients all over the world, such as Abbott Animal Health, Bayer Animal Health, Merck Animal Health and Merial, use PF Inc. formulated flavors.

In 2007, he obtained a patent for phycocyanin, which is a unique ingredient used for the treatment of non-human mammal arthritis. In 2008, Pieloch launched the Phycox family of products that supports dog and horse joint health. Exhaustively researched, the Phycox line is a safe and proven supplement designed to naturally reduce joint discomfort and inflammation.

Pet ownership in the United States has tripled since the 1970s to over 164 million dogs and cats in homes today. Mark Pieloch realizes that the bond between humans and animals is a strong one. Scheduling regular visits to the veterinarian, treating pets when they are ill and making them comfortable as they age is part of responsible pet ownership. With over 30 years of experience formulating, testing and developing stable animal-health products, Pieloch’s work in making medicines and supplements taste better ensures that medications are easily given without force. His painstaking research and development of joint-support supplements gives dog and horse owners the tools to keep their pets active and free from pain.