About Pel Freez

At Pel-Freez, our mission is to enable your mission, whether you’re developing and manufacturing vaccines, bringing in vitro diagnostics to market, or conducting the basic research that is critical for expanding insight into biology.

To accomplish this mission, we focus on doing what’s right for your assays, your experience as a customer, and the animals that we use. From high-quality, consistently-performing products, to responsive customer support, to compassionate animal care that ensures as much of each animal is utilized as possible, you can count on Pel-Freez to deliver what’s right.

Pel-Freez company sign outside of their building

Our Company

Pel-Freez company sign outside of their building

Pel-Freez is a company of dedicated life science professionals located in Rogers, Arkansas.

Originally founded as a backyard rabbit farm by Herman Pelphrey in 1911, the company expanded into animal biologicals in response to the large volume of requests for materials from biomedical researchers in the 1950s, and has been serving the biomedical community ever since.

Over the past 70 years, Pel-Freez has further expanded its offerings to include a variety of animal tissues, extracts, and blood products as well as key human biologicals to support vaccine development and manufacturing, in vitro diagnostics and assays for coagulation, and a range of basic research including immunology, neuroscience, and more.

History of Pel-Freez

From Rabbit Farm to Biological Products

Fluffle of white rabbits at farm

1910's

Backyard Rabbit Farm

The story of Pel-Freez begins in 1911, when Herman Pelphrey gave a pregnant pet rabbit named Betsy Ann to his son. Betsy Ann’s litter grew and bred, and soon the Pelphrey home was overrun with rabbits. A natural entrepreneur, Mr. Pelphrey began supplying his neighbors with fresh rabbit meat.

1940’s

Pel-freez becomes largest rabbit meat supplier in the United States

By WWII, H.F. Pelphrey & Sons had grown into the largest rabbit meat producer in the United States and changed its name to Pel-Freez in order to capture the then-growing trend of frozen foods.

Old catalog of Pel-Freez products

1950’s

Pel-Freez enters Biological Business

As biomedical research began to take off throughout the 1950s, researchers began contacting Pel-Freez with requests for rabbit tissues and blood, and the Biological Division was subsequently established.

2020

Key Supplier to Researchers Pharmaceutical Companies Worldwide

On March 31, 2020, Pel-Freez was acquired by a private investment partnership led by Dr. Brian Bonk who is now the Pel-Freez President and CEO.

Under Dr. Bonk, Pel-Freez is continuing to supply pharma and biotech companies as a critical components supplier and is growing the catalog of products to meet the needs of modern life science companies.

Our People

At the heart of every successful company is a team of dedicated professionals who take pride in serving the customer and enabling the work that they do. At Pel-Freez, you’ll find that pride in every employee, as well as experience, expertise, and a commitment to excellence.

From our animal operations to production to customer service and support, our people are the reason for our success.

Certifications

We maintain licensure through USDA APHIS Animal Care certifying that we uphold the regulations contained in the Animal Welfare Act.

Our quality management system is certified to meet internationally-recognized standards for processing and distributing biological products to the scientific research, diagnostic and pharmaceutical industries.

We have third-party, independent verification that the care and handling of our animals meets the standards set by the American Humane Association

Leadership team

See the experience that drives Pel-Freez’s success in providing high-quality animal and human biologicals.

Join our Team

Be a part of a team of professionals that are deeply committed to ensuring excellence in biologicals manufacturing, customer service, and animal welfare.