USA— Hill’s Pet Nutrition plans to add to its US manufacturing capabilities with a US$700 million purchase of three Ohio based dry pet-food plants from Red Collar Pet Foods.
Kansas-headquartered Hill’s Pet Nutrition, owned by toothpaste and shower-gel maker Colgate-Palmolive said all the 350 employees at the Red Collar Pet Foods’ sites are included in the deal.
Additionally, Hill’s is currently building a new canned pet food manufacturing facility in Kansas, scheduled to begin production next year, and in May completed the acquisition of a canned pet food plant in Italy from Nutriamo, also to meet demand for its science-led pet nutrition diets.
John Hazlin, the president of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, said: “Hill’s is committed to enriching and lengthening the special relationship between people and their pets, and this additional production capability will help us reach more pets with our science-led foods and enable us to raise the level of service we provide to the speciality retailers and veterinary professionals that offer our products.”
This additional production capability will help us reach more pets with our science-led foods and enable us to raise the level of service we provide to the speciality retailers and veterinary professionals that offer our products.
Hill’s Pet Nutrition markets pet foods mainly under two brands. Hill’s Science Diet— a range of products for what Colgate-Palmolive calls “everyday nutritional needs— and Hill’s Prescription Diet— a line of “therapeutic products to help nutritionally manage disease conditions in dogs and cats”.
Red Collar Pet Foods is a private label and co-manufacturer in Tennessee, which was created in December 2018 when Chicago-based private-equity firm Arbor Investments’ acquired Mars Petcare’s Exclusive Brands business.
Last year, the pet-food company said it planned a US$5.7 million expansion of its facility in Clinton, Oklahoma.
Hill’s Pet Nutrition said in a statement that Red Collar Pet Foods “will manage the dry pet food private-label business for a transition period and will continue to own and operate its pet-treats business and facilities”.
Hill’s Pet Nutrition added that Red Collar will continue to be the vendor of record for any remaining dry pet food co-manufacturing contracts until that production is completed.
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