The Pet Food Brands that Sold in 2020

Several pet food brands changed ownership this year.

The JM Smucker company entered into the pet food business in 2015 by purchasing the Big Heart Brands (Meow Mix, Kibbles ‘n Bits, Milk-Bone, 9Lives, Natural Balance, Pup-Peroni, Gravy Train, Nature’s Recipe, Canine Carry Outs, and Milo’s Kitchen) from Del Monte. But in 2020, Smucker sold one of the brands – Natural Balance Pet Food – to “Nexus Capital Management LP in a deal valued at approximately $50 million.” This is the forth owner for Natural Balance Pet Food since it began in 1989.

Solid Gold Pet Food sold in 2020 to Hong Kong-based Health & Happiness Group International Holdings Ltd. “in a $163 million deal.”

Breeders Choice Pet Foods (AvoDerm and Pinnacle) sold this year to “a privately held ownership group of Southern California business people led by Joey Herrick and Rick Rockhill, former executive at Natural Balance and Petco.” The Breeders Choice brands now become part of Lucy Pet Products.

American Nutrition, which mainly was a co-packer for other brands, was sold to CJ Foods this year – another manufacturer that mainly focuses on manufacturing for other brands (co-packer).

WellPet (Wellness, Old Mother Hubbard, WHIMZEES, Eagle Pack, Holistic Select, and Sojos) sold to Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (purchased from another investment firm Berwind Corporation).

And in Canada, raw pet food Tollden Farms sold to Dane Creek Capital Corporation/United Raw. This investment group has purchased 10 pet food brands in Canada.

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

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