FAIRPORT HARBOR, OH–(February 01, 2016) – Exemplifying OurPet’s Company’s (OTCQX: OPCO) historical commitment to the development of products designed to enhance the bond between pets and humans, the company today announces its strategic partnership with Aplix IP Holdings Corp., a Japan-based software and solution provider.

“We literally searched the world for the strategic partner who shares the same passion as we do and would closely work with us to bring these ideas to reality. We’re fortunate to have found what we were looking for in Aplix of Japan, a world leader in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi design, development and manufacture of related components,” says OurPet’s CEO Dr. Steve Tsengas. “OurPet’s and Aplix have invested extensive resources to develop new products fueled by smart technology and we look forward to collaborations that continue this development.”

The approximately 85.5 million domesticated cats and 77.8 million domesticated dogs in the U.S. are considered a primary part of the family, with owners spending an increasing amount of time and money on their pets in the home. According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), this bond translates to growth within the U.S. pet industry from $16 billion to over $60 billion during the last 20 years alone.

OurPet’s is cognizant of this growth, and of the fact that pet owners are looking for ways to improve their relationship and “communicate with their pets” by providing a harmonious, healthy experience and home for the animal. The goal of OurPet’s agreement with Aplix is to employ the technology related to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to develop products that satisfy all these objectives.

Aplix will work with OurPet’s to help the company further develop its innovative product lines in the lucrative pet supply industry. “Aplix is very excited to closely collaborate with the OurPet’s innovative team in the design/development of future product lines,” says Mr. Ryu Koriyama, the Aplix President who, early in his career, has worked for companies such as Microsoft, founded by Bill Gates, and NeXT, founded by Steve Jobs.

Since its launch in 1995, OurPet’s has been an active trend setter in the pet industry. The launch of the patented “Big Dog Feeder^®” and subsequent other elevated feeders successfully established healthy feeding trends. The launch of the company’s patented electronic “Play-N-Squeak^®” cat toy established interactive, physical/mental pet toys, while the launch of the “Durapet^®” stainless steel bowls with a non-skid rubber molded base transitioned feeding bowls into a non-commodity expression of fashion and love. More recently, OurPet’s product innovation has focused on waste and odor control with the patented SmartScoop^® automated, highly reliable, cost effective litter box and the EZ Scoop™ semi-automatic litter box.

Today, OurPet’s has more than 160 issued or pending patents and derives over 75% of its revenue from proprietary products. True innovation works in tandem with evolution, and OurPet’s has no intention of leaving its innovative success cemented in the past.

“We have experienced rapid growth in sales and profits by means of a simple strategy — listening to pet owners and retailers and applying our extensive knowledge related to pet behavior, geriatrics and nutrition and the extensive engineering technology/manufacturing,” says Dr. Tsengas. “We’re excited to see where this new strategic partnership takes us.”

About Aplix

Aplix IP Holdings Corporation is a unique company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Originally founded as Aplix Corporation in 1986, Aplix has developed and provided multimedia authoring systems for the NeXT Computer System, CD and DVD mastering software for Apple Macintosh and Appcessory software for iOS devices. In 2009, Aplix acquired Zeemote Inc., a Bluetooth hardware company which was founded in 2005 by MIT graduates. Aplix’s mission is to make the benefits of Internet of Things available to everyone, everywhere and on everything by designing and offering easy-to-use, yet affordable wireless connectivity solutions to bring value to all sectors of the market. As a leading solution provider for consumer electronic products with a proven track record for nearly 30 years, Aplix understands that the customers’ needs go beyond connectivity. Therefore, Aplix has gone the extra mile, combining their high-quality radio modules and advanced network technology to develop a comprehensive solution that provides insight into consumer behavior and enhances the usage of their customers’ products. Aplix’s passion is building strong partnerships with their customers to create a new business model for the Internet of Things.

About The OurPet’s Company

The OurPet’s Company (OTCQX: OPCO) designs, produces and markets a broad line of innovative, trend-setting pet products and accessories sold under the OurPets and Pet Zone brands domestically and internationally. OurPets and Pet Zone products are sold through leading pet specialty retailers, food, drug and mass merchandisers, direct-mail catalog and internet retailers. Since its founding in 1995, the OurPet’s Company has been building an extensive intellectual property portfolio with more than 160 patents in either issued or pending status all devoted to solving problems related to the human/pet bond. OurPet’s was named a Weatherhead Top 100 Fastest Growing Company in Northeast Ohio in 2013 and has been a Lake-Geauga County Fast Track 50 Hall of Fame local business success winner for the last eight consecutive years. In addition, the OurPet’s Company was named 2015 Business of the Year by the Painesville Area Chamber of Commerce. Investors and customers may visit www.ourpets.com and www.petzonebrand.com for more information about the Company, its products and brands.

Contact:
Peter Ostapowicz
Marketing Coordinator
postapowicz@ourpets.com