Hagen Inc. is a pet supplies company founded in 1955 by Rolf C. Hagen with the help of his brothers, Dieter and Horst. Dieter and Horst Hagen joined the company later after immigrating from Germany becoming key members of the firm.
History
Rolf C. Hagen began acquiring bird seed from the Prairies in Western Canada with the intention of exporting it back to Germany, where he had established contacts. This was the initial stage of his new venture, before expanding his business into a diverse pet supplies manufacturer with an aim of international expansion. During the past fifty years, the Hagen Group of Companies was able to export its business from Canada to the international market. Its customers include small and local pet stores in Canada and the United States, as well as publicly owned "box stores" such as Petsmart and Petco. Its global head office is located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and was completed in June 2006. Hagen wholly owns subsidiaries in the United States, England, France, Germany and Malaysia. There is talk of opening new subsidiaries in Latin America to bring the pet scene to this emerging market. The Hagen Group of Companies consist of Hagen Industries and Hagen Pet Foods Inc. Hagen Pet Foods Inc. is based in Waverly, New York where the Nutrience line of premium dog food is produced. Hagen manufactures products related to pets such as aquariums, leashes, cages of all sorts, foods, etc. The company has created a popular line of aquarium filtration for enthusiasts and professionals called Fluval 106, 206, 306, 406. This line of external filtration creates a more stable habitat than a hang-on-the-back filter. It also makes the famous Habitrail line of tubular hamster housing, as well as the Exo-Terra line of realistic reptile housing products. It is known for brand products like Aquaclear and Fluval aquarium filters, and Nutrience dog food. The firm's recent business restructuring phase resulted in direct shipment of its products to independent dealers instead of through traditional two-step distribution. Rolf C. Hagen, born in 1932, died on 22 October 2011. Rolf C Hagen closed the Edmonton Alberta warehouse. In Sept 2014, they opened a distribution center in Calgary Sept 2014 and still maintain a small office in Edmonton for order control and Western distribution control. The warehouse closure was a disorganized mess. The crab Geosesarma hagen is named after the company, because of the company's support of Christoph D. Schubart and Christian Lukhaup. G. hagen is a popular crab in the aquarium trade, where it was traded long before it was scientifically described.
Exo-Terra
Hagen's Exo-Terra creates terrariums for reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Their division sponsors an annual two-week expedition to Africa. The Exo-Terra Expedition explores the natural habitats of reptiles, and has even discovered a species of gecko, Phelsuma vanheygeni. The company holds an annual Nactus Award reptile photography contest that awards hobbyists a place on the expedition.
