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.

Mark Pieloch‘s master’s degree in Industrial Pharmacy has been a valuable tool in his ongoing rise to the top of the pharmaceutical field. These specialty degree programs require students to acquire a thorough knowledge of drug product development techniques from the initial stages of formulation through testing and release to the consumer marketplace. Master’s degree requirements typically include coursework in food and drug law studies; drug discovery and registration; chemical manufacturing and quality controls; processes and workflows; and documentation of all relevant activities during the development stages and throughout the life cycle of a pharmaceutical product line.

A large portion of Mark Pieloch’s success in pharmaceutical development can be traced back to his educational experiences in secondary school and university. During his high school career, Mark traveled to Germany to study for a year in Osnabruck. This experience and his subsequent studies at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and the University of Michigan provided him with the education, knowledge and flexibility needed to take on his first positions in the pharmaceutical industry. After honing his experience in these pivotal roles, Mark soon found himself at the top of the corporate ladder, thanks to his solid educational background and willingness to take risks in the working environment.

One key to Mark Pieloch’s rise to the top of the corporate pharmaceutical world is his creativity and inventiveness. Most educational experts agree that these traits are formed during early childhood and are the result of active encouragement on the part of parents, teachers and caregivers.

By providing children with a wide range of colorful interactive toys and guiding them to use these items in creative ways, adults can foster innovation and instill a sense of adventure that can serve these little ones well in their future endeavors. Children with a healthy sense of curiosity and wonder about the world around them typically do better academically and in their later business ventures and career paths. As children progress in the academic environment, teachers can help them develop leadership skills by encouraging them to take risks and to challenge themselves with assignments outside their comfort zones. This can prepare them for facing the challenges of entrepreneurship and can help them develop a healthy tolerance for the risk-taking required to start a new business.

Mark Pieloch’s own experience in creating companies from the ground up has provided him with valuable insights into fostering creativity in his colleagues. By teaching children these skills at a young age, they can easily translate them into the proficiencies required to take on new responsibilities and challenges. This can lead to added opportunities in later life and can allow students to establish their own success stories in the business and academic fields.

Even in the recent economic downturns, Mark Pieloch can be proud of the performance of Pharma Chemie. He created the company in 1990 and maintained a leadership position until Pharma Chemie split into two separate corporate entities in 2012. Mark retained ownership and controlling interest in one, PSPC, but sold his remaining interests in Pharma Chemie to Paul Jonjak, the owner of Pet Tech Laboratories. Jonjak retained the staff currently working at the Syracuse, Nebraska, plant and continues to pursue the Pharma Chemie mission of serving pet pharmaceutical and nutritional firms throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Pharma Chemie focuses on two primary areas in its daily operations. Its animal health products line includes pet nutritional products for dogs, cats and horses. The products’ appealing taste is readily acceptable to companion animals, making dosing and good nutrition easier for pet owners. Staff members at Pharma Chemie also perform research into the most appealing flavors and effective presentation strategies for pet medications and nutritional supplements. By creating good-tasting vitamin and mineral supplements for canine, feline and equine pets, the scientists and researchers at Pharma Chemie can improve the health and longevity of these beloved four-legged family members.

Even after Mark Pieloch divested himself of his interests in Pharma Chemie, the company he founded continues to provide elite pharmaceutical research products to the companion pet industry. Mark’s legacy continues to live on in the work performed at Pharma Chemie and the help this company provides for pets and people throughout the country and around the world.

Throughout his life, Mark Pieloch has never shied away from making bold moves and taking advantage of opportunities in his academic and employment pursuits. As a high school student in Gardner, Massachusetts, he spent a year abroad in Osnabruck, Germany, studying and immersing himself in the local culture.

After graduation, Pieloch attended the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. He completed a five-year bachelor’s degree program in Pharmacy Studies in just three and a half years, graduating with honors and earning a 3.53 grade-point average. He then continued his studies at the institution and completed his master’s degree in Industrial Pharmacy in 1980. Pieloch then continued his education at the University of Michigan, where he graduated in 1983 with an MBA with honors.

As a registered pharmacist in Michigan, Kansas, Nebraska and Massachusetts, Pieloch has put his talents to work in numerous roles within the pharmaceutical industry. He worked as a research scientist for W. H. Rorer, as a pharmacy manager for Kmart and as a senior production planning analyst for Sterling Drug. It was his work on behalf of SmithKline Beecham Animal Health as a research pharmacist and eventual director of pharmaceutical development, however, that helped to cement Pieloch’s growing success in the industry.

In 1990, he founded Pharma Chemie, Inc. He soon followed with the establishment of Peak Nutrition in 1995 and PalaTech Laboratories in 1999. Mark continued his entrepreneurial activities with the founding and eventual sale of a number of other companies in the pharmaceutical field. Today, he serves as President of PF Inc. and chairman of the board of PSPC Inc.; he owns controlling stock in both companies.