Purina acquires pet treats factory from Red Collar
The Nestlé subsidiary will become the owner of the Oklahoma factory in March 2023.
The Red Collar Pet Foods plant was “carefully selected” by the pet food producer based on its current and future soft and meaty pet treat manufacturing abilities and the “shared commitment to quality and safety.”
The acquisition will further develop Purina’s in-house capacity for pet treats innovation and production.
The addition of the Miami, Oklahoma, unit to the portfolio will be the 22nd Purina-owned and operated facility in the country.
Completion of the deal should occur in March 2023, after which Red Collar Pet Foods company will transition the facility’s operations to produce its own products.
Purina has collaborated with Red Collar since 2022 co-producing a number of soft chew pet treats under the Nestlé treats portfolio and Zuke’s brands.
More factories under construction
From 2020 until 2025, Purina is said to be spending more than $2 billion (€1.86B) on plant expansions, new builds, and acquisitions.
It currently has 2 dry food factories under construction in Eden, North Carolina, and Williamsburg Township, Ohio, which are likely to open in late 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Andrea Faccio, Chief Growth Officer at Purina, said: “Continued innovation and expanded production capabilities are critical to help drive future growth in our treats business.” He added that Red Collar could add “tremendous value” to the company as it pursues new prospects to build its pet food brand.
The sale of the factory to Purina is Red Collar’s second business transfer in the last 6 months. In September 2022, the company sold its dry kibble pet food manufacturing entity to Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
PE firm Arbor set up Red Collar Pet Foods in December 2018 after acquiring the private-label pet food and treats company from Mars Petcare.