EarthWise expands to 151 locations through acquisition of Pet Pros

Pet Pros has been owned since 1992 by Harvey and Nancy Peterson, who set out to build a business that educated customers about pet health and nutrition, and that was committed to old-fashioned service and giving back to the community. 

The Petersons have been semi-retired, with day-to-day management handled since 2016 by General Manager Georgann McConn. McConn will continue to oversee the locations, and no staffing changes are expected. 

“The Petersons built a company that we love and respect, and they have built a wonderful team,” says EarthWise Pet CEO Michael Seitz. “We share the same values when it comes to serving pets, their people, and the community, and we’re honored to carry their legacy forward.”

As the stores are converted into EarthWise Pet locations in the near future, the only major change will be the addition of a dog grooming area that will include professional groomers as well as self-wash stations depending on space and store location.

EarthWise Pet’s second major move of 2021

The Pet Pros acquisition comes on the heels of EarthWise Pet’s strategic partnership with Pet Stuff America and acquisition of Pet Stuff Franchising, which was announced in August. Together, the two deals have doubled the size of the EarthWise Pet chain to 151 locations nationwide with additional locations slated to open prior to the end of the year.

EarthWise Pet continues to seek purchase and partnership opportunities

“We believe that by bringing locally owned pet stores together, we can help entrepreneurs compete effectively against online retailers and corporate chains,” Seitz says. “Customers love having people they can trust who provide advice, guidance, and support to them and their pets. Big chains do have some advantages, however, and by layering in additional services that EarthWise Pet has developed, and building a brand with the economies of scale to negotiate better pricing, we have evened the playing field for the types of local business owners who know their customers’ pets by name.”