United Petfood expands in Canada and Turkey with new acquisitions

Private pet food manufacturer United Petfood has completed 2 facility acquisitions in less than a week.

On 2 April, the Ghent-headquartered firm announced its entry into the Canadian market by purchasing a plant in Quebec. And at the end of March, in partnership with Turkish producer Lider Pet Food, it acquired a dry pet food factory in Turkey from MAYA Pet Food.

Entry into Canada

The state-of-the-art facility in Drummondville, Quebec, began operations in 2023 under the Legault Group. The corporation owns 2 of Canada’s largest pet food and accessory chains: Mondou and Ren’s Pets.

United Petfood describes this takeover as a “strategic” move to establish local production in Canada. The facility is located near the company’s US dry production site, and the expansion marks a “pivotal step” in strengthening its presence in this key market.

“We continue to see interesting opportunities for growth in both the Canadian market and internationally,” says Dries Eeckhout, United Petfood Group CEO.

Turkey expansion

In Turkey, the newly acquired facility is 30,000 sq m and has an annual capacity of 40,000 tons. It is located in Kırklareli, 200 km from Istanbul.

The production setup includes milling, extrusion, drying, vacuum coating and packaging lines to support end-to-end manufacturing capabilities.

This move will enable both companies to meet surging demand across domestic and international markets. The facility will serve as a gateway to Eastern Europe.

Partnership

Eeckhout tells GlobalPETS that the partnership with Lider Pet Food is structured as a joint venture between the company and the 2 Turkish families who founded Lider.

It was formalized in February 2023, when United Petfood acquired a stake in Lider Pet Food to accelerate international growth while allowing the company to remain self-managed.

Combined, the partners operate a diverse portfolio of 13 pet food and treat brands – including Reflex and Spectrum – comprising over 600 products, as well as a 50,000-ton annual cat litter operation.

According to Eeckhout, the Kırklareli facility is the second under this joint venture, following a new wet pet food factory that launched last year in Salihli (450 km from Istanbul) and produces cans and pouches.

European expansions

United Petfood is continuing its capacity buildout across Europe, with a new greenfield dry pet food facility in Romania scheduled to open in July and another plant planned in Portugal.

Alongside new sites, the company is upgrading its existing network of 28 factories, prioritizing wet pet food production across pouches, aluminum trays and cans, while also expanding treat capabilities, particularly in snacks and biscuits.

“These investments strengthen our relationships with customers in both private label and contract manufacturing, supporting above-average organic growth through superior product quality,” Eeckhout says.

Previous expansion

In October last year, United Petfood unveiled a brand-new pouch factory in Jedlińsk, approximately 90 km south of Warsaw, in Poland. The €50 million ($58.4M) state-of-the-art facility produces wet food for dogs and cats.

The site is equipped with cooking, filling, and packaging lines, advanced automation and strict quality control systems. It is also capable of exporting worldwide, including to the United States and Asia.

Company backgrounds

United Petfood produces dry and wet pet food, as well as biscuits and snacks for cats and dogs, serving both private label customers and brand owners. It operates production facilities across Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Romania, the US, Turkey, France, Poland, the UK and the Netherlands.

The company is active in more than 100 countries worldwide and currently generates an annual turnover of around €1.6 billion ($1.73B).

Founded in 2009, İzmir-based Lider Pet Food operates 3 high-tech dry and wet pet food production facilities across Turkey. The company has captured nearly 40% of the domestic dry food market and has a global footprint in more than 80 countries.