Clipper Distributing
Bringing Animal Health Distribution and Field Readiness Together

Supply chain and commercialization form the two tracks through which a product enters veterinary practice. Each contributes to adoption differently and often progresses through its own partners and timelines. That separation shapes how a launch is experienced in the field; veterinary clinics typically receive access first, while the context that supports confident use develops as education moves through the network.

Clipper Distributing turns that sequence into a coordinated path. Its dual engine brings product flow and field readiness into one system, giving animal health manufacturers a launch in which access and understanding rise together from the outset.

Manufacturers gain a national footprint without investing in warehousing, licensing or cold-chain infrastructure. Clipper’s distribution network gives access to 38,000 clinics and nearly 800,000 ranches and farms, supported by an FDA-cleared, DEA-registered, 50-state-authorized facility in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Processing over 30 million pounds of product each year and completing nearly 90,000 picks monthly, the operation provides the scale and regulatory readiness required to enter the market at speed.

On the commercial side, Clipper shapes how the field encounters a product by setting the right launch moment, building veterinary-facing education and ensuring clinics know exactly how to use the therapy from day one. Signals, training and guidance move through the same network that carries the inventory, converting reach into readiness. Uptake strengthens because clinicians meet the product with clarity, allowing adoption to rise at the pace access allows.

“We are your U.S. launch partner. Our job is to strengthen the route your product takes and the message it carries,” says Corey Shigematsu, CEO and President.

This structure becomes especially valuable for first-time U.S. entrants or companies expanding into new species categories. A unified operational view aligns product flow with clinician behavior and market signals, giving manufacturers the traction and visibility required to build a presence that grows and matures with stability.

One System, Multiple Growth Paths

No matter where a manufacturer is in its growth cycle, Clipper adapts its approach to match the stage with precision.

It works alongside the manufacturer’s internal team to shape launch timing, guide category expansion and refine positioning in real time as field signals shift. Regular check-ins keep the plan responsive, allowing adjustments to surface early so momentum does not break.

That adaptability extends into how clients engage with Clipper’s infrastructure. Some use a traditional buy-sell relationship. Others rely on full 3PL support. Many run dropship models that move orders directly from clinics or distributor agents to Clipper for fulfillment. Because the infrastructure is built to flex rather than hold rigid structure, it can absorb buffer-stock requirements, seasonal variance or short-term supply pressure without slowing reach. For the field, that consistency shows up as reliable access to the product instead of intermittent availability.

The impact becomes clear in moments of category expansion. When a livestock-anchored manufacturer prepared to introduce its first feline product, Clipper recognized that the move required a different route to market. The team remapped supply, rebuilt education for small-animal practices and timed the launch of materials so that messaging and availability rose together. Momentum held rather than resetting, allowing the product to reach clinics sooner and with stronger readiness.

A Guided Approach to Commercialization

Clipper closes a gap that often determines whether a product succeeds in the veterinary market—the space between distribution and clinical understanding.

Moving inventory into the channel does not guarantee that a veterinarian will choose it, trust it or recommend it. Veterinarians choose products when they clearly understand therapeutic purpose, correct usage, safety considerations and the economic fit within their practice.

That’s why Clipper builds downstream understanding into the supply chain itself. Training tools help clinicians see therapeutic relevance. Field enablement clarifies correct use and dosing. Practice-level messaging shows where the product fits alongside existing protocols, which shortens the decision window.

A major advantage for manufacturers is visibility. Instead of distributing product through fragmented channels and hoping for traction, they receive feedback from a single route that sees both movement and education outcomes. They understand which clinics adopt quickly. They learn which species categories respond fastest. They discover which training assets drive usage. Data then informs the manufacturer’s next decisions instead of guesswork.

The Crew Behind the Course

Clipper’s people—the “crew,” as leadership calls them—keep the company’s model aligned with the realities the market creates. Their role mirrors the ships that inspired the company’s name. A clipper ship could be refitted for cargo, speed or passenger movement, yet it still depended on a capable crew who could adjust to weather, weight and route without losing control of the journey. Clipper sees its organization the same way; products change, categories shift, market priorities evolve, but the constant is the judgment and responsiveness of the people running the system every day.

Their capability becomes a multiplier for technology. The team reads patterns that signal rising velocity or emerging pressure and adjusts packaging or handling with the precision those shifts require. They sense when veterinarians may need added clarity or education long before adoption data confirms it.

“Systems and software make movement possible, but it is the people behind them who keep the supply chain responsive, steady and ready for whatever comes next,” adds Shigematsu.

The Backbone of Veterinary Care

Clipper supports the everyday work of veterinary clinics by keeping the fundamentals of care steady. Its private-label line, Phoenix, covers the routine products used across examinations, treatments and small procedures—iodine, basic solutions and long-trusted tools that clinicians rely on in nearly every case.

That reliability strengthens daily workflows for clinics, which in turn creates the operational room needed to adopt new therapies without disruption. By carrying both essentials and emerging treatments through the same distribution system, Clipper helps manufacturers understand how products perform in real settings. The result is a clearer context for adoption and more predictable market behavior.

This chain of steadiness is why Clipper is being honored as the Top Animal Health Supply Chain Solution 2026—recognizing a company that maintains the backbone of clinical practice, brings distribution and commercialization into one disciplined engine and prepares the industry to move forward with confidence and continuity.