Whitebridge Acquires Grizzly Pet Products
March 4, 2021
Whitebridge Pet Brands, LLC, a leader in natural and minimally processed pet foods, announced today it has completed the acquisition of Grizzly Pet Products, maker of Grizzly pet supplements. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Grizzly Pet Products, founded in 2002 by Harald Fisker and with operations in Washington and Denmark, produces cat and dog supplements which are made primarily from Wild Alaskan fish oils. The company’s products are marketed in pet specialty channels in North America and Europe.
“The Grizzly business originated from the discovery that portions of wild-caught Alaskan salmon – which contain a very rich source of omega-3 fatty acids – destined for human consumption were routinely thrown away. We were one of the first companies to recognize that wild-caught fish contained higher levels of essential fatty acids than farmed fish and provide better nutrition for pets. In partnership with human-grade processing plants in Alaska, we were able to extract this healthy nutrient and develop products for dogs and cats, thereby using the entire fish. Every Grizzly supplement bears the National Animal Supplements Council Quality Seal,” said Fisker.
Whitebridge Pet Brands, led by CEO Olivier Amice, was founded in January 2015. The acquisition of Grizzly Pet Products is the fifth acquisition by Whitebridge Pet Brands which was founded by the merger of Cloud Star®, a leading pet treat manufacturer and Petropics, maker of Tiki Cat® and Tiki Dog™. Since then, Whitebridge Pet Brands has acquired Dogswell® (2017), a leading brand of functional jerky for dogs, and Cardinal Pet Care (2020), maker of Pet Botanics® and Crazy Dog® training treats. Whitebridge Pet Brands is backed by Frontenac, a Chicago-based private equity firm.
“At Whitebridge, we want to help people bring health and happiness to pets through better nutrition, which we believe is natural and minimally processed Foods, Complements, Treats and Supplements, formulated to the specific needs of dogs and cats. We are very excited the Grizzly brand will be joining the Whitebridge portfolio. Our Better Together philosophy to our people, our partners and to our portfolio led us to Grizzly, allowing Whitebridge to enter the growing pet supplements category. The combined strength of the two organizations will benefit our customers and our entire business,” said Amice.
Customers and consumers can be assured minimal disruption as the businesses are integrated.
About Whitebridge Pet Brands
Whitebridge Pet Brands was founded in January 2015 with the merger of Cloud Star and Petropics, the maker of Tiki Pet. Whitebridge Pet Brand’s strategy is to build an innovative pet food company that brings health and happiness to pets and owners with a range of minimally processed, natural, and wholesome dog and cat foods, treats and complements. Their portfolio includes Tiki Pets®, Dogswell®, Pet Botanics®, Crazy Dog® and Cloud Star®, sold exclusively in pet specialty and widely distributed brands, Petite Cuisine®, Happy Hips® and Buddy Biscuits®. Whitebridge Pet Brands is backed by Frontenac, a Chicago-based private equity firm. For more information, please visit www.whitebridgepetbrands.com.
About Grizzly Pet Products
Since 2002, Grizzly Pet Products has focused on the development and manufacture of high-quality products for dogs, cats, and horses, from our headquarters in Washington State, USA.
About Frontenac
Frontenac is a Chicago-based private equity firm. The firm focuses on investing in lower middle market buyout transactions in the consumer, industrial, and services industries. Frontenac works in partnership with established operating leaders, through an executive-centric approach called CEO1ST, which seeks to identify, acquire, and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and operational excellence. Over the last 50 years, Frontenac has built a leading franchise working with over 275 owners of mid-sized businesses as they address complex transition issues of liquidity, management enhancement, and growth planning. For more information, please visit www.frontenac.com.