UltraPet Names Howard, Merrell & Partners
Agency of Record

Firm to Develop $10 Million National Branding Campaign
for Pet Company

ANDERSON, SC – November 29, 2005 –UltraPet announces it has named Howard, Merrell & Partners, a full-service strategic branding and communications firm, the agency of record to market its premium, pet- and earth-safe products for dogs and cats. Howard, Merrell & Partners will develop a $10 million branding campaign for UltraPet that includes creative development, media planning and buying, package design and public relations.

Since its inception in Fall 2003, UltraPet has developed and acquired premium, environmentally friendly pet products that can be found in dozens of national pet store chains, major retailers and grocery stores. UltraPet was founded by Jerry Peters and Michelle Higdon, who both have a proven track record of building and growing brands from the bottom up.

“We’ve been thoughtful and strategic about the steps we have taken to date to bring our products to market,” explains Michelle Higdon, UltraPet president. “We know that now is the time to heavily invest in marketing our company and our products nationally, and we’ve chosen Howard, Merrell & Partners to lead that effort.”

As the agency of record, Howard, Merrell & Partners will leverage its expertise in advertising, media buying, strategic product and brand positioning, grassroots marketing and public relations to help increase brand awareness for UltraPet and launch a new line of products for the company in 2006.

“Our experience with successful national campaigns gives us the ability to leverage, on behalf of UltraPet, the industry-leading creative and strategic talents inside our firm,” says Jim Cobb, COO of Howard, Merrell & Partners. “UltraPet is a first-rate company, with a seasoned executive team, and a proven line of pet products. We believe this new partnership will positively impact both our organizations.”

About UltraPet
An Anderson, South Carolina-based company, UltraPet is the marketer and manufacturer of premium pet- and earth-safe pet products. The products include: Litter Pearls, Ultra Pearls, Better Way Cat Litter, and Harvest Chewz bones for aggressive chewing dogs, and the Cedar Fresh cat litter brand of products. UltraPet was founded in the Fall of 2003. The sales and marketing team has received national recognition for its reengineering of the recently acquired brands and its launch of new innovative products and brands. For more information, visit www.ultrapet.com.

About Howard, Merrell & Partners
Howard, Merrell & Partners, Inc., one of The Interpublic Group of Companies, is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. The firm specializes in linking business and communications strategies to yield higher levels of financial performance. Howard, Merrell & Partners is a pioneer in understanding and applying the power of emotions, using Neurodynamic Modeling and deep consumer insights to develop more effective business and communications strategies.

Recent clients include Colonial Bank, MED-EL Corporation, Hydroxatone, Canvas on Demand, NC Beautiful, Baseball Factory, Kimberly-Clark, Sappi Fine Paper, ALT, and Thorlo. The agency’s work has been recently honored by, the Telly Awards, the Addys, the London International Advertising Awards and the North American Precise Syndicate. For more information, visit www.merrellgroup.com