H.J. Baker sells Old Mill Pet Products

Building on a period of focused market and brand development, global agriculture firm H.J. Baker has sold its pet treat company, Old Mill Pet Products, to Multipet International. The sale closed Friday, October 30, 2015, and the full transition is expected to be completed by Friday, November 6, 2015.
“We were pleased to partner with Multipet for the sale of Old Mill Pet Products as they are well positioned to build on the commercial success we started,” said H.J. Baker CEO Christopher Smith. “Multipet is a well-respected firm in the industry and we are confident that the transition for Old Mill Pet Products alongside their pet toys and other pet accessories will be smooth."
Old Mill Pet Products launched its first line of pet products under the nature’s bits brand in 2014. This line of high-end, 100% made-in-the-USA dog treats is grain- and gluten free. They are comprised of six oven-baked treats and six crunchy-baked treats.
H.J. Baker is committed to adding value to the products and services it provides as a global manufacturer and supplier in the animal health and nutrition, crop performance and sulfur industries. Family owned since 1850, H.J. Baker builds trusting relationships that last decades. It invests in ongoing research, product innovation and manufacturing excellence so that customers have the best opportunity to succeed. H.J. Baker supports environmentally sustainable practices and its dedicated employees are active in the communities where they live and work. H.J. Baker & Bro. Inc., is headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut, USA.

Acquisition of Big Heart Pet Brands pays off for Smucker’s

The J.M. Smucker Co. reported a 47% increase in sales, or US$628.2 million, in the first quarter, after its acquisition of Big Heart Pet Brands.
The company announced a record $1.95 billion in sales for the first quarter of its 2016 fiscal year. Operating income rose 39 percent, to $267.1 million, and diluted net income per common share stayed at $1.14. Its stock price jumped $8 a share, to $117.21.
In February 2015, Smucker's announced that it would acquire Big Heart Pet Brands for US$5.8 billion, including US$2.6 billion of net debt. The purchase marked Smucker's entrance into the petfood and snacks category and expands its overall presence in consumer packaged goods. Smucker's acquired brands including Meow Mix, Milk-Bone, Kibbles 'n Bits, 9Lives, Natural Balance, Pup-Peroni, Gravy Train, Nature's Recipe, Canine Carry Outs and Milo's Kitchen.
'We are off to a solid start this fiscal year,' Chief Executive Richard Smucker said in a written statement. 'Contributions from the Big Heart acquisition and new products were key drivers of this performance.'
'Overall, we are on track to achieve our full year expectations for net sales and earnings, and are confident about the initiatives we have in place to support future growth,' he said. 

Bosch Tiernahrung to acquire Harrison Pet Products

Bosch Tiernahrung will acquire Harrison Pet Products Inc. of Canada. Harrison Pet Products will continue to operate as a separate stand-alone Canadian company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Former vice president of Harrison, Holly Morrell, will continue to operate the company as international managing director. Morrell will work with the existing distribution network and looks to grow within those countries with the added marketing and promotional strength of Bosch Tiernahrung as well as with the addition of new products and new segments.
Harrison’s Canadian recipes will be continued with the added benefit of the strong scientific and technical expertise of Bosch Tiernahrung. Harrison developed and built the brands Genesis, Chicopee and Titan, with distribution in more than 35 countries. In addition to the current distribution areas, there are aggressive plans in place to develop in countries yet untapped.
 Development opportunities in the bakery/treat segment will be an extension to Genesis, Chicopee and Titan’s dry and wet dog food, dry and wet cat food, extruded small animal food and cat litter products.

Nestle Purina PetCare to purchase Merrick

Merrick Pet Care has signed an agreement for Nestle Purina PetCare Co. to purchase the company from its private equity owner, Swander Pace Capital. Terms were not disclosed.
With SuperZoo as the back drop, Merrick Founder Garth Merrick said, “I believe Nestlé Purina is the right company to take what I, along with others, have built to the next level. I’m proud my name will continue to be on the door as we remain committed to making the best food for the best pets ever.”
Merrick is one of the fastest-growing natural and organic pet food companies in the industry, and will continue to operate as an independent business with no planned changes to its management or operations.
Merrick has more than 350 employees located primarily in Hereford, Texas, USA; Amarillo, Texas, USA; and Evanston, Illinois, USA.
With this agreement, which is expected to close over the next several months, Merrick will be able to further build upon its record of providing pets with industry leading nutrition, quality and food safety, while taking advantage of new global resources and innovations.
“The Merrick team has built an extremely strong portfolio of natural and organic pet food and treat brands that are helping millions of pets thrive,” said Joe Sivewright, CEO of Nestlé Purina PetCare. “We admire Merrick and what the team is doing to provide pets with nutritious, quality and safe food and are excited about how the Merrick brands will broaden the Purina portfolios.
Merrick offers a wide variety of USA-made dry and wet foods, as well as treats, that are available nationally at independent pet specialty stores, Petco, and online via select retailers. In April 2012, Merrick Pet Care Inc. acquired Castor & Pollux and its ORGANIX branded portfolio. These brands are available at PetSmart, natural grocery, and online via select retailers.
Merrick’s manufacturing facilities are Safe Quality Food Level III certified and in 2012, Merrick’s facilities became the world’s only known organic certified manufacturer for dry and canned food for pets under the USDA National Organic Program (NOP).

Quadrant Private Equity to acquire V.I.P. Petfoods

Quadrant Private Equity has entered into an agreement to acquire V.I.P. Petfoods for AUD410 million (US$317.8 million).
Quadrant will partner with the founders of V.I.P. to back the existing management team, including Rex Devantier and Kent Quinn, to grow the business domestically and internationally. Tony and Christina Quinn will remain significant shareholders and continue to provide ongoing support to the business.
V.I.P. was founded in 1994 by Tony and Christina Quinn and over this time V.I.P. has grown to be Australia’s leading independent pet food company and the largest producer of fresh chilled pet food in the world, distributing pet food products locally and into overseas markets. V.I.P. operates 6 manufacturing sites, employs over 600 staff and produces over 150,000 tons of pet food annually.
“Over the past two decades, V.I.P. has grown to become a leading Australian manufacturer of pet food and one of the largest manufacturers of pet food in the world,” said Tony Quinn. “Christina and I are proud of what we and our team have achieved in building V.I.P. into a world class pet food manufacturing business and we believe Quadrant is the right partner to assist the team over the next phase of growth, which we look forward to being a part of.”
“V.I.P. has built up an impressive position in the Australian pet food industry and has established a truly leading manufacturing capability,” said Chris Hadley, managing director of Quadrant. “We believe there are opportunities to further implement growth and strategic initiatives to enhance the brand and product in Australia and throughout the world. This is another great example of Quadrant partnering with Australian entrepreneurs to provide capital and strategic expertise to execute on growth.”

Partner in Pet Food acquired by investment firm

Partner in Pet Food (PPF) has been acquired by global private equity investment firm Pamplona Capital Management for EUR315 million (US342.7 million).
“Pamplona’s investment in PPF is the start of an exciting new phase of our company’s development,” said Attila Balogh, CEO, Partner in Pet Food Group. Under Advent’s stewardship. “PPF has gone from strength to strength, expanding across Europe into new categories and delivering excellent growth rates. We look forward to working with Pamplona as we start the next stage of our development, where we will look to continue organic growth while focusing on strategic acquisitions.”
Since Advent acquired the business in 2011, PPF has dynamically grown sales, predominantly through new products and innovation. The company has made significant investments in its industry-leading research and development and production capabilities in recent years, along with strategic acquisitions. This investment has enabled PPF to drive significant increases in sales, particularly through the launch of premium alucup and single-serve pouch products.
Pamplona is backing PPF’s current management team led by Balogh, who will become executive chairman, and will continue to invest in the business to support organic growth. The business plans to accelerate product innovation across its private label and branded offerings and will also look to grow through further innovations and acquisitions in Western and Central Europe. Pamplona has a strong track record of investing long-term capital in market-leading companies that are managed by exceptional management teams.
“PPF is one of Europe’s leading pet food producers. We look forward to working with Attila Balogh and his management team to grow the company further. PPF has a superb track-record of delivering organic growth and is a natural consolidator in the European pet food,” said Markus Noe-Nordberg, partner, Pamplona Capital Management.
 PPF is one of Europe’s largest producers of private label wet and dry pet food, supplying the continent’s top retailers across 37 countries.