C.J. Foods, American Nutrition now named Alphia

Alphia has a portfolio of pet food and treats. The company has a national footprint of 10 locations across 6 states.

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Dogs are omnivorous carnivores and can eat a wide range of foods to survive. Their ancestors, such as the gray wolf, hunted in packs and were competitive feeders after a kill. | outdoorsman, Bigstock.com
Dogs are omnivorous carnivores and can eat a wide range of foods to survive. Their ancestors, such as the gray wolf, hunted in packs and were competitive feeders after a kill. | outdoorsman, Bigstock.com

Adapted from a press release:

The newly named Alphia, a custom manufacturer of superpremium pet food based in the United States., resulted from the merger of C.J. Foods and American Nutrition. Alphia also includes milling solutions partner LANI and Veracity Logistics. The combined company employs approximately 800 people.

Alphia has a portfolio of pet food and treats. The company has a national footprint of 10 locations across 6 states. The company manufactures more than one billion pounds of dry, canned and baked pet food and treats annually.

Alphia is a portfolio company of J. H. Whitney Capital Partners (JHW), a Connecticut based private equity firm that owned C.J. Foods since 2014 and acquired Lortscher's Animal Nutrition (now LANI) in 2018. Earlier this year, C.J. Foods purchased American Nutrition (including Veracity Logistics). 

JHW has invested in more than 400 companies since formation and currently managed approximately US$1.0 billion in private capital. JHW remains privately owned by its investing professionals and focused on three primary sectors: consumer, healthcare and specialty manufacturing. 

The name Alphia refers to terminology coined in 1947 by Rudolf Schenkel, who observed unrelated, captive grey wolves. Schenkel designated dominant wolves as alpha, and lower ranking animals as beta or gamma. However, scientists later noted that the violence-based hierarchy observed in the captive wolves rarely plays out in nature, where wolves tend to form dens with family members and violence is rare. Similar to Homo sapiens, the breeding pair tend to be the dominant individuals within the family, so more mom and pop than Mussolini and Mao.

Related pet food industry mergers and acquisitions

How C.J. Foods’ buy of American Nutrition boosts brands

February 28, 2020 - C.J. Foods, superpremium pet food manufacturer, will benefit from a wide geographic footprint and massive production volume, once C.J. completes the acquisition of American Nutrition.

C.J. Foods acquires Lortscher Animal Nutrition

April 11, 2018 - Lortscher is based in Bern, Kansas, USA with additional locations in Seneca, Kansas and Brownwood, Texas.

C.J. Foods acquires Day Six Pet Nutrition

February 16, 2016 - C.J. Foods Inc., a provider of specialty dry pet food manufacturing services for super premium pet food brands in the US, has acquired Day Six Pet Nutrition, which also specializes in manufacturing specialty dry pet food brands.

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