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WellPet believed to have acquired Sojo’s Pet Food

From two unrelated sources I’ve heard that WellPet, LLC has acquired the raw pet food brand Sojo’s. We still have to wait for official press release of this news, but here is what I know…

From two unrelated sources I’ve heard that WellPet, LLC has acquired the raw pet food brand Sojo’s. We still have to wait for official press release of this news, but here is what I know…

Received from a pet food distributor is the following email…

We are pleased to announce the addition to Wellpet of a leading and trusted leader in the freeze dried / raw pet food segment:  Sojos!

WellPet and Sojos share a mission of transforming the lives of pets by providing the very best in natural nutrition, and by joining with Sojos, WellPet greatly expands our offering for pet parents interested in the benefits of raw nutrition. Sojos helped to pioneer the raw nutrition category of pet food and treats, which today represents one of the fastest-growing in the pet food industry.

Combined, WellPet and Sojos bring more than 100 years of experience delivering nutritional excellence to pets. That’s made possible by the commitment of our people in both the WellPet and Sojos organizations, our state of the art facilities and the quality of our products. Our retail customers and the pet parents they serve can now turn to WellPet for five trusted brands of natural pet food and treats, including: Wellness, Holistic Select, Eagle Pack, Old Mother Hubbard and Sojos.

Sojos will continue to be based in Minneapolis. Our leadership teams are excited about our new collaboration and the additional resources WellPet brings that will enable Sojos to grow and serve more pet families. There will be no changes to the day-to-day operations of either company. Both organizations have significant talent and expertise that will benefit WellPet and Sojos. Ward and Maggie Johnson will continue to help with the transition. Distributor and retail customers of Sojos will continue with ‘business as usual’ with the Sojos team.

We are very proud that WellPet is the number-one independent, family-owned natural pet food company in the US, and look forward to supporting and growing with all of our customers in the coming years.

Berwind Corporation is the owner of WellPet. Per the company’s website “Berwind is a family-owned investment management company.”

When the official press release of this news is published, it will be posted here.

Received this afternoon from Sojo’s…

Hi Susan,
A message was passed down the line that you were calling for official word, and I’m writing to say that it is indeed true that Sojos has been acquired by WellPet. It’s been a bitter-sweet week for Maggie and I as, on the one hand, this is our baby that we’ve built up from a tiny little company over the course of 20 years and it’s not easy to pass the torch. But, on the other hand, it’s validation of what we’ve been able to build with the help of a ton of awesome, loyal partners in independent pet stores across the continent. And we truly believe that WellPet is the perfect partner to keep growing this and transforming the lives of pets through the power of raw nutrition.
My guess is that most won’t notice much of a difference. We’re still going to be making food in-house at our facility in Minneapolis, MN, with the same folks that have been working alongside Maggie and I for years. Our senior leadership team is staying in place, and Maggie and I will be here to make sure that the transition to new ownership is smooth. If anything, having the resources and expertise of a reputable company like WellPet will give us even more of an ability to stay at the cutting edge of nutrition — and most importantly safety. To a person, everyone at WellPet that we have gotten to know over the last several months has filled us with confidence that the core values of Sojos — a passion for the well-being of animals, a focus on safety and quality, transparency of ingredients, and a fun, dynamic workplace for our employees — will remain in place.
Lastly I just wanted to thank you for your advocacy of the raw category over the years. It certainly helped to put companies like Sojos on the map!
Best,
Ward

 

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food

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9 Comments

9 Comments

  1. Ellen

    January 7, 2016 at 1:51 pm

    I am actually quite pleased by this news since I serve my dog raw, THK, and Holistic Select. HS has always been transparent and has responded to every e-mail I have ever sent inquiring as to quality of both the plant and the suppliers.

    This company is truly one of the last of its kind and I hope it continues to grow. I will definitely be interested in learning about and trying the raw product.

    • Marge

      January 7, 2016 at 2:32 pm

      Seriously? Shill much? I can’t find links to my posts right now but these cover Some of aspects: https://www.ourdogsonline.com/viewtopic.php?t=23800#p263649
      Text from above link: “Catterton Sells Wellness Pet Food in $400 Million Deal

      Posted Friday, August 15, 2008, 4:08 p.m., EDT

      Catterton Partners, a private equity firm based in Greenwich, Conn., has sold its investment in Old Mother Hubbard Inc./Wellness Pet Food of Tewksbury, Mass., in a reported $400 million deal.

      Various financial publications have reported Berwind Corp., a family-owned investment management company based in Philadelphia, acquired the company from Catterton and the Scott family, which bought the pet food maker in 1961 and later recapitalized under Catterton. Berwind does not currently plan to respond to requests to confirm the deal.

      Berwind�s strategy, however, is to pay cash for 100 percent ownership of its portfolio companies. It implements a buy-and-hold strategy, targeting companies with high gross margins. It has stated in plans to invest $1 billion over the next three years on platform companies and bolt-on acquisitions.

      Berwind currently considers Eagle Pack Pet Food of Mishawaka, Ind., which it acquired last October, as one of its platform companies.

      Deborah Ellinger, former chief executive officer of Old Mother Hubbard, is no longer with the company.

      TheDeal.com reported that Catterton had hired Lehman Brothers Inc. to sell Old Mother Hubbard/Wellness last year, but that the auction was scrapped amid pet food recall concerns. Catterton, which reportedly invested $45 million in the company, maintains an investment in Nature�s Variety of Lincoln, Neb.

      Old Mother Hubbard has annual estimated revenues of about $150 million, FactSet Flashwire”
      _______________________________
      How about the stealth, non [public/FDA] recall aka “voluntary recall” of Wellness cat canned cat food (Feb 28 2011) when it was an investment of Catterton Partners, Before they sold it to Berwind for a reported 40 million dollar Profit? By not disseminating the information in a way that the average Wellness consumer would be made aware the the danger of Wellness lack of thiamine (so they say, I’m not convinced that it wasn’t something else entirely) … by NOT making information, about the over ONE MILLION CANS RECALLED, public record, so to speak, they endangered the life’s and health of, and caused the deaths of, our beloved cats.
      This link speaks to that:http://www.city-data.com/forum/cats/1295489-wellness-6-3-11-cats-still.html
      Text: “I, for one, would appreciate some official information verifying these claims. I agree that Wellness is no longer a premium food. I began phasing it out of my cats’ rotation last summer when they started rejecting it.

      This always happens when a good food is bought out by a big company. It happened to Iams and Eukabana, it’s happened to Wellness and it is happening with Natura products.

      But you are making claims about Wellness killing cats without providing any concrete evidence, besides your single experience.
      I just read your post and I will try to REtrace my internet steps to find ALL information re: Wellness recall 2011, that I INitially found when I ventured onto the internet , looking for answers. (begun June 1 2011).

      It is 12:36 I have been retracing my steps for 2, possibly 3 hours now. There are so many more …. just more…. -Insert-

      This search that began June 1 2011 also marked my first attempt at social networking, in what, We now know, turns out to be a lame attempt at warning others.

      When I realized that my lack of information and lack of previous experience in caring for a neglected animal had contributed to it’s (SABER is Not an it’s, he was and IS neeloveddeeply dless loved ) I contributed to my Loves needless suffering.

      I would ALSO appreciate some OFficial information from the SOurce of this collective suffering.

      Some threads tell of owners whose initial conversatioN with a Wellness’ representative led them to believe that order had been restored. Many owners felt comfortable enough to accept coupons for MORE Wellness food, instead of demanding cash back to purchase an alternative brand.

      Were they wrong, misguided?, or are they simply decent people who believe in basic goodness and are willing to grant the benefit of the doubt when asked to do so.

      I don’t believe they were misguided. I believe many people will rise to their highest nature when asked and given the opportunity to do so. This is Not a weakness.

      To my knowledge, in the public forum, WELLNESS, other than issuing a BElow the RAdar, voluntary recall– has only, obliquely, answered a few questions asked by Thixton? on TRuthAboutPetFood.com. You will need to type it in yourself and then search the site. If I could find it ANYone can.

      I hear the collective, relieved, snort of dismissal when I cite TAPF. Now we can feel safe that we were indeed right. Well, I had never heard of ANY cat based web site before June 1, 2011.

      The information on which Laboratories were used by customers to have Wellness cans independently tested, and what the tests revealed can be found in the websites I went to Jun 1st 2011 and after.

      I will list some of those websites below. I’m sure most anyone is more adept on the internet than I am, so if I could find the pertinent information in less than a week anyone else could probably do it in just days.

      One of the search results that surfaced and possibly how I found City-Data ,was YOUR post asking about a possible Wellness recall years ago. 2008/2009? any way, Thankfully, it was false. then.
      You did not start or re-start this apparent urban legend, you just seemed very concerned, possibly frustrated, and rightfully so. Once bitten, Twice shy.

      This is not that. Yes, MY, experience, singular at the time, the details and symptoms known only to me., were repeated and reproduced with stunning accuracy and regularity across the results pages for: Wellness Cat Food Recall 2011.

      Feb 28 2011 and beyond… The threads generally began with many consumers being mainly concerned about how their refunds would be issued. From general acceptance to actual delight that they may even “get something for free”? (I have no idea why).

      In the beginning, there were also those whose cats were sick from thiamine deficiency. An elusive diagnosis, finally made possible to those “lucky” enough to stumble upon the quietly disseminated information.

      A diagnosis however, that offered little comfort to the cats whose last moments had echoed those of the ones gone before them.

      Anyone choosing not to read the ENtire thread, not only diminishes their suffering, but also CHooSes to becomes Willfully Ignorant.

      The same can be said of those choosing to do only an abbreviated or abridged search, or those who knowingly omit, or refuse to read a source (including Wellness’ Website) based on a personal bias.

      Anyone choosing not to pursue further knowledge of an issue, is simply out of the conversation in any meaningful way.

      Allow “the chips to fall where they may”.

      To what purpose, other than their concern for YOUR animals, would these MAny, bereaved, inconsolable, anonymous & Guilt-ridden people… CHoose to relive the pain and intimate last moments?…

      …innocence …. love … trust … BEtraYed

      Attention? Fame? Glory?…..Munchkins by proxy?

      There are owners who were lucky? enough to have heard of the stealth recall and respond with B-1 shots, only to find out that their cats’ liver function has been irreversibly damaged as well.

      They have medical tests to prove this, so THey say, you will have to ask Them to show you their concrete proof.

      Both veterinarians that saw Saber in March were unaware of the Feb 28th 2011 announcement by Wellpet CEO blah, blah, blah,. Both vets knew I was feeding Wellness, continuously, while very occasionally adding Taste of the Wild and EVO Cat.

      In desperation, I had asked for EVery possible test to be run on his blood samples. Cash in hand. But My vet, was compassionate, and chose, for me , without my consent, to save me money and forgo testing for vitamins and heavy metals.

      He died the day THose tests results were supposed to be in, along with the results of his thyroid etc. Although my thrifty vet “owes” me money, I think it’s probably better if I stay away from her, for EVer.

      I’m not familiar with the details of the 2007 cat food recall, I’ve been too busy with this one to catch up.

      It must have been comforting to pet owners feeding those recalled brands to have honest, timely answers, from the Pet Food Companies they had entrusted their cat(s) lives to.

      That they could then be absolved of any responsibility towards other pet owners, would be, I can assure you, NO small gift.

      Ex-pet owners allowed to grieve in private, with no moral dilemma or gnawing sense of obligation to NOT remain SiLent . aAllowing TIme to exonerate those, that the TRuth would not.

      On June 1 2011, TrutHaboutPetFoods.com— meant nothing to me.
      Like wise catster.com—petConnection.com—Petside.com—-catForum.com
      exoticPets.about—–cats.about—City-Data.com—felineDiabetes.com—

      Silence cannot be allowed to be used as a refuge
      ______________________________________

      http://www.littlebigcat.com/holistic-pet-mall/instinctive-choice-cat-food/
      Text: “One cat rescue that fed only Wellness canned food had many cats get sick, and several die, due to the lack of thiamine in food that was later recalled. For these reasons, I strongly recommend feeding your cat a variety of different types, brands and/or flavors of food.”

      • Ellen

        January 13, 2016 at 9:19 am

        Really? Carrying around some anger are we? Seems like you have nothing else to do, and are very rude in your responses to people. There is a polite and tactful way to communicate with people – perhaps you should try it.

        Anyway, the recall back with the cat food was, as you wrote, by Wellness, a sister product to Holistic Select. I inquired at that time and was responded to in an e-mail that the two products are not made in the same plant.

        I have seen no difference in the Holistic Select products, and it was stated that nothing would be changed since they know a good product should not be manipulated.

  2. Audree

    January 7, 2016 at 3:49 pm

    I’m always disappointed when a family owned company sells out.

  3. Dianne

    January 7, 2016 at 4:37 pm

    When a family-owned investment management company acquires a product producing company, can there really be anything good for the future of that product? The top goal of the investment management company is to increase profits, this can only be done by raising prices, cutting quality control and using cheaper ingredients. Once they have bled the company for all the profits it can get, the company is discarded putting all kinds of people out of work. Yeah unfettered capitalism.

  4. Lynn Utecht

    January 7, 2016 at 5:31 pm

    well, I agree. It is NOT a family owned PET FOOD company , it is a family owned INVESTMENT company. So—so- long SoJos’s. Time to start making my own now. Already doing raw. Not much of a big step. Probably cheaper anyway.

  5. SK

    January 7, 2016 at 9:01 pm

    When I went to pick up a bag of Sojo’s Turkey for dogs that I ordered the other day, the woman at the pet store said she sent it back after she saw a lot of living bugs moving around in the clear window on the front of the bag. She called to report it & was told a few other stores reported the same thing, and they were checking suppliers to track down the problem ingredient. Sorry, that did it for me. No more Sojo’s for my dogs.

  6. Dr. Laurie Coger

    January 10, 2016 at 6:50 pm

    I doubt this is a good thing….

  7. Cindy L

    April 23, 2017 at 4:52 pm

    I have 4 dogs. I have been feeding them SOJOS original and SOJOS Grain Free 50/50% mixed with my own cooked chicken breast. I have been giving them this diet for years now. BUT… now as of the last couple months (it is now April 2017), that 2 of my four dogs is having gastro-intestinal problems every time I put them back on even a little SOJOS. I give them rice and chicken for the periods of clearing up the colitis and meds. Then when they are doing good again for 3-4 days, I slowly put the SOJOS gradually back into their diet. Then the diarrhea and vomiting starts all over again. I know that the formula in both SOJOS mixes looks like it is the same ingredients but I’m thinking the quality and/or supplier of the ingredients may have changed. It’s funny that all this seems to have occurred after the company sellout to the family owned investment company. I have been at my wits end trying to figure out why my 2 dogs keep getting colitis. I am very careful with their diet and health, so it is not likely anything else. I will have to switch foods. I have been trying to avoid both raw food and kibble. Not sure what to get. They all seem to be about profit now.

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