Mars Petcare announced that it has signed definitive agreements to acquire veterinary services provider AniCura from Nordic Capital, Fidelio Capital and the remaining minority shareholders of AniCura. On completion of the transaction, AniCura will join the family of Mars Petcare’s veterinary health business units and will continue to pursue the expansion of its brand in Europe. Mars Petcare veterinary businesses include AniCura, VCA, BanfieldPet Hospital, Bluepearl, Pet Partners and Linnaeus.
Completion of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals. It is expected that the transaction will close in Q4 2018. On completion of the deal, AniCura’s existing management will continue to lead the business.
History of AniCura veterinary services provider
AniCura was founded in 2011 as the first merger of animal hospitals in the Nordic region. Since then, it has grown to become a role model for high-quality, specialized veterinary care for companion animals. AniCura now has more than 4,000 veterinary professionals, and 200 animal hospitals in seven countries across Europe. Its vision is to provide a first-class customer experience for pet owners and referring veterinarians alike.
The acquisition of AniCura represents Mars Petcare’s strategic entry into the European veterinary care sector. It brings together Mars Petcare’s veterinary businesses with AniCura’s established European business. This follows the announcement earlier in June 2018 that Linnaeus – a high-quality provider of veterinary care based in the UK – will also join Mars Petcare and will become a unit within Mars Petcare’s Veterinary Health Group.
History of Mars Petcare and veterinary services providers
Mars Petcare has been providing veterinary care since 1994 when it first began partnering with Banfield Pet Hospital. Today, it employs approximately 50,000 veterinary professionals and cares for more than 10 million pets annually.
“Mars Petcare has a long and global history of providing nutrition, veterinary care and science for pets across the globe”, said Poul Weihrauch, president of Mars Petcare, in a press release. “Our veterinary business until now has been in the United States and Canada. Europe is the second largest region in the world for pet care, and European pet care is expected to grow significantly over the coming years. There is a great opportunity to address growing demand by providing high quality, consistent veterinary care across Europe. Together, Mars Petcare and AniCura will both be in a position to benefit from each other’s best practices and competencies, improving clinical practice and continuing to advance the veterinary profession in both North America and Europe.”
AniCura practices medicine across its 200 animal hospitals and for two million pets every year. It has a specialist care focus and a team employing graduates from the European College across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and The Netherlands.
