Two third-generation, family-owned companies–one from the West and one from the Midwest–are joining to expand opportunities and to better serve both the animal feed and pet food industries.
The Swanson family of companies (including Associated Feed, Nutrius and Virtus Nutrition) of Turlock, California, is acquiring D&D Ingredient Distributors.
“Our family is very excited at the prospect of entrusting D&D and our employee team to the Swansons,” say Doc and Dorothy Miller who founded D&D in 1976 in Delphos, Ohio.
Their son, Arnie Miller, president of D&D, adds, “We had a number of requirements that we felt a partner would have to have and the Swansons fit all of them. We are looking forward to working together as one team going forward.”
Shared values, long-term vision
Matt Swanson, CEO of the Swanson family of companies, says, “We’ve admired the Miller family and done business with D&D for many years. And for a number of years we’ve wanted to achieve the combination of our two companies.
“Joining with D&D represents an important expansion eastward for us,” Swanson adds, “and it will enable us, with the help of the highly capable employee base at D&D, to better serve existing customers and position us to serve new customers in D&D’s market area.”
Over the course of more than 40 years, both D&D and the Swanson family of companies (including Associated Feed, Nutrius, and Virtus Nutrition) built thriving, independent enterprises by following key business principles they happen to share. These principles focus on:
• Quality products
• Superior customer service
• Honesty and integrity in all dealings
• Employee respect and growth
• Leading by example
The companies also share key core values—integrity matters, quality first and customer focused.
Growth based on trust, respect, care
Both the Swanson family of companies and D&D strive to be their customers’ preferred supplier as well as responsible, respected business leaders in the communities in which they have operations.
Both companies “understate and overdeliver,” which results in high levels of customer loyalty, trusted relationships with vendors and growing business networks powered by highly effective word-of-mouth advertising.
“D&D is a very well-run business,” Swanson says, “providing a wide variety of outsourced manufacturing services to the animal feed and pet food industries. D&D’s focus on high quality products and customer service has meant steady growth and expansion of both its customer base and market area.”
For D&D customers and vendors…
Restructuring under the new ownership is well underway with minimal change in business operations and only a minor change to the company name—now D&D Ingredients.
The restructuring, Arnie Miller says, will be seamless for D&D customers and vendors. D&D will have the same business model and same management team.
Our team continues to fulfill customer orders with precision, care and promptness while sustaining strong vendor partnerships, despite many months of widespread supply chain challenges.
Bringing D&D into the Swanson family of companies offers exciting new business growth potential in key strategic areas. Our proven, successful business models and separate business operations complement each other and can serve the animal feed and pet food industries even better in 2022 and years to come.
