Adapted from press release
Westfleisch, Germany's second largest meat marketer, expands its range of pet food products with the acquisition of The Petfood Company.
Based in Bocholt, Germany, The Petfood Company receives its raw materials via short transport routes from the Westfleisch meat centers, including Coesfeld and Oer-Erkenschwick.
"With this takeover, we have taken a further step toward extending our own value chain," explained Dr. Wilhelm Uffelmann, CEO of Westfleisch. "In view of the strong demand from our retail partners, we see high growth potential for The Petfood Company's premium products. We want to exploit this together."
The Petfood Company filed for insolvency at the end of 2023 but business operations have continued, said the company.
"The Petfood Company is a very well-positioned producer in the wet food sector and has a state-of-the-art production facility," said Johannes Steinhoff, COO of Westfleisch. "With our raw materials, our experience and our network, as well as the targeted leveraging of synergies, we will expand production in Bocholt, develop the production facility sustainably and secure around 60 jobs for the future."
Acquisition expands pet food range into wet food
Westfleisch has offered dry chewing products for pets for several years with its subsidiary, Dog's Nature, available in Europe and the U.S.
"With The Petfood Company, we are now expanding our product portfolio to include wet pet food and supplementing our range in the pet food segment, also in the interests of our customers," explained Steinhoff.
Westfleisch now operates at 10 locations in northwest Germany. The company said it is constantly investing in its product diversity and increasingly pushing ahead with the expansion of its own value chain.
"We detect opportunities provided by the consolidation of the German meat market and seize them where it makes strategic and operational sense," said Uffelmann.
