General Mills completes acquisition of Whitebridge Pet Brands

The American pet food manufacturer wants to strengthen its commitment to the pet space.
General Mills has announced it has completed the $1.5 billion (€1.4B) acquisition of dog and cat food brand Whitebridge Pet Brands from its Belgium-based private investment owner NXMH.
According to the Minnesota-based company, this transaction will help drive incremental growth in cat food and treats. Jon Nudi, General Mills’ Group President of North America Pet, recently told analysts that the company was excited about “getting bigger in cat wet, which is the fastest-growing segment in the category.”
He adds that he is also seeing a return to the pre-pandemic trend of pet humanization and premiumization.
In November, when General Mills announced that it had entered a definitive agreement to buy Whitebridge’s North American brands, Nudi said the deal “would strengthen” the firm’s commitment to the pet space.
Manufacturing facilities
As part of the Whitebridge acquisition, General Mills will take on the operations of 2 manufacturing facilities in Joplin, Missouri. The deal does not include Whitebridge Pet Brands’ European business and brands, which will remain under NXMH ownership. The deal marks the fifth acquisition by General Mills in the pet category in the last 6 years.
It follows the $8 billion (€7.8B) purchase of Blue Buffalo in 2018, the $1.2 billion (€1.2B) acquisition of Tyson Foods’ pet treat business – including Nudges, Top Chews and True Chews – in 2021, the purchase of vet-founded pet supplement company Fera Pets in 2023 and premium pet food brand Edgard & Cooper earlier in 2025.
According to figures from Nielsen, the North American business, which includes Tiki Pets and Cloud Star’s portfolio of brands, generated around $325 million (€315M) in retail sales over the last 12 months.
The biggest demand from customers was seen in the pet specialty and e-commerce channels.