Nasta Pet Food acquires Canadian manufacturer FirstMate
The French pet player expects a consolidated revenue of €200 million ($217M) in 2026 after the transaction.
Nasta Pet Food has acquired FirstMate Pet Foods, an independent premium manufacturer based in the Canadian province of British Columbia, for an undisclosed amount.
“This acquisition is fully aligned with Nasta Pet Food’s long-term strategy of supporting strong brands through targeted investments in research and development, industrial capabilities and marketing, while ensuring full continuity for end customers, commercial partners and suppliers,” says Geoffroy Lefebvre, who was appointed Chairman and Group CEO in January and is the former CEO of German online pet retailer Zooplus.
To complete the acquisition, the group has refinanced its activities through a senior unitranche facility (type of loan) of €120 million ($130M). The company notes that this refinancing “will support and accelerate” the combined group’s development strategy.
North America expansion
The deal integrates FirstMate and its parent company, Taplow Ventures, into Nasta Pet Food, expanding its operations in North America.
According to the company, the combined entity will represent consolidated industrial capacities of 54,000 tons of dry pet food and 4,000 tons of wet pet food per year.
This capacity is expected to serve over 400,000 pet owners annually and generate approximately €200 million ($217M) in consolidated revenue in 2026.
Company background
Founded in 1989, FirstMate produces dry and wet food distributed through pet specialty retailers in Canada, the United States and internationally.
Its factory in British Columbia combines a kibble manufacturing facility and a cannery with an annual production capacity of 20,000 tons of dry pet food and 2,000 tons of wet pet food.
The acquired company will continue to operate autonomously, with full continuity of its management, teams, industrial sites, integrated manufacturing model and commercial and retail partnerships.
Nasta Pet Food
Nasta Pet Food is an international distribution group comprising Italian manufacturers SANYpet and Natural Line, as well as French producer Codico, following a 2024 merger.
It operates production facilities in France and Italy, representing capacities of 34,000 metric tons of dry food and 2,000 tons of wet food per year.
The group, which owns the brands Bab’in, Forza10 and Natural Code, distributes its products in more than 30 markets.
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