Sumitomo Corp., Sumitomo Corp. of America and Japanese petfood manufacturer Unicharm closed a joint-venture deal on December 30, 2011. The deal gives Unicharm a significant stake in the common share of small animal food and pet treats manufacturer Hartz Mountain Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corp.
"This new strategic partnership brings together the brand power, deep category expertise and existing market share of Hartz with Unicharm's proprietary technology and high-performing innovation," said Mr. Koichi Isohata, a representative at Sumitomo. "The alliance is intended to grow the Hartz business, maximizing the potential of the US pet care market and ideally build the business globally."
2 top trends for 2021 according to the pet food industry
New shelter data casts doubt on whether the pet population and pet ownership are truly growing.
Shelter pet adoption numbers down in 2020, but high rate
While the pandemic caused unprecedented suffering worldwide in 2020, the disruptions to dogs, cats and other pets adoption numbers may normalize in 2021.