LISBON, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BrightPet Nutrition Group (“BrightPet”), a leading marketer and manufacturer of premium and super-premium pet foods, treats and grooming products, announced the strategic acquisition of Bravo! Pet Foods (“Bravo”), a pioneer in frozen raw and freeze-dried pet foods. The transaction of BrightPet, a portfolio company of A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”), a middle-market private equity investment fund, is the second in two years and reflects the company’s commitment to an M&A strategy that strengthens its brand portfolio while expanded its capabilities in high-growth market segments.
BrightPet supplies branded, private label and made-to-order products to domestic and more than 30 international markets. BrightPet operates a portfolio of well-recognized leading consumer brands, including Stewart®, Blackwood®, Adirondack®, By Nature®, Miracle Care® and Hamilton®, with holistic and natural solutions.
“The Bravo brand is well known and respected for more than 20 years. We believe that Bravo’s commitment to innovation, premium ingredients and the highest standards of manufacturing is a good fit for BrightPet,” said Dave Kowal, CEO of BrightPet. “This acquisition supports our vision to be the most valuable pet platform in the industry. By expanding our brand portfolio and strengthening our production capabilities, we expect to continue the growth trajectory that BrightPet has embarked on in recent years.”
Founded in 2002 by the Bogner family in Manchester, Connecticut, Bravo was one of the first brands to manufacture and sell frozen raw and freeze-dried pet foods and is a leader in educating the industry and pet parents about the health benefits of Bravo raw food. In addition to a range of treats, chews and supplements for dogs and cats, Bravo offers five meal solutions including complete and balanced meals and customizable meal plans. Bravo products include:
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Bravo! Homestyle Complete: freeze-dried raw food that maximizes nutritional value, flavor and texture,
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Bravo! Balance: frozen chubs and burgers, complete and balanced dinners with essential nutrients,
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Bravo! Blends: a four-part formula with limited ingredients,
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Bravo! Basics: a medley of meat, bones and offal and
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Bravo! Boneless: nothing but real meat or fish.
Melinda Miller, former CEO of Bravo, will join BrightPet as Vice President of Bravo Brands. Melinda is a leading expert in nutrition, formulation and innovation and will lead the integration of skills across the BrightPet portfolio.
“We are very excited to have Bravo join the BrightPet family of brands,” said Miller. “We believe that BrightPet and AMCP immediately provide complementary resources that will enable new product development for years to come. BrightPet’s commitment to innovation, quality, reliability and safety provides an unmatched foundation for mutual growth.”
“When we acquired BrightPet, our goal was to grow the company into a premier pet food, treats and grooming platform with a differentiated portfolio of major brands and industry-leading manufacturing capabilities,” said Ryan McCarthy, Partner at AMCP. “In the two years since our acquisition, BrightPet has achieved significant domestic and international growth in super-premium product categories and increased share of high-growth channels, including e-commerce. We have completed two strategic acquisitions, more than doubling the company’s revenues, the number of brands in our portfolio and, most importantly, investing heavily in manufacturing capabilities to continually deliver new and innovative product offerings. We believe our domestic manufacturing capabilities, growing portfolio of brands and industry-leading innovation are compelling differentiators for those seeking a manufacturing partner or wanting to be part of a larger platform. We look forward to continuing to add complementary and value-added businesses to the BrightPet family.”
Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP have provided legal advice to AMCP and BrightPet.
For more information about BrightPet, visit www.brightpetnutrition.com.
About BrightPet Nutrition Group
BrightPet Nutrition Group is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium and super-premium pet foods, treats and grooming products. BrightPet has served the US and more than 30 international markets with branded, private label and contract manufactured merchandise since 1978 and has pioneered both freeze dried treats and slow-cooked small batch dry pet food. BrightPet operates a portfolio of leading holistic, natural and organic consumer brands including Stewart®, Blackwood®, Adirondack®, By Nature®, Miracle Care®, Bravo® and Hamilton®. For more information about BrightPet, visit www.brightpetnutrition.com.
About Bravo! pet food
Founded in 2002, Bravo brings 20 years of knowledge and experience to the creation of species-appropriate, all-natural fresh frozen raw foods, freeze-dried diets and treats, and all-natural chews. Bravo was a pioneer in establishing the raw food and freeze-dried category in the petcare industry. Guided by the principle of “Making Healthy Happen,” Bravo’s high-quality, ingredient-limited, meat-based products are made in the USA using only ingredients that have been tested and approved for human consumption. For the full story, visit www.BravoPetFoods .com.
About A&M Capital Partners
A&M Capital Partners is Alvarez & Marsal Capital’s flagship investment strategy focused on mid-market control transactions in North America with approximately $3.0 billion in assets under management. AMCP works with founders, corporations and management teams to provide the capital and strategic support we believe is needed to take businesses to the next level of success. AMCP invests in companies across a variety of sectors including business services, industrials, manufacturing, food and beverage, healthcare, consumer and retail, government services, financial services and energy services. More broadly, Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $4.35 billion in total assets under management.
