Wind Point Partners and portfolio company Pestell Group are pleased to announce today that Pestell has acquired Targeted Pet Treats through its Pestell Pet Products business unit, further establishing its capabilities as a diversified pet platform. TPT, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Warren, PA, is a leading co-manufacturer of dental treats and long-lasting chews for pets.
The acquisition is highly complementary to Pestell’s PET business, which manufacturers animal litter and small animal bedding products, as TPT provides entry for Pestell into the growing dental treat market. Additionally, both businesses plan to leverage their customer relationships, manufacturing capabilities, and distribution networks to enable cross-selling opportunities.
Matt Miller, Pestell Group CEO, commented, “On behalf of everyone at Pestell, I am thrilled to welcome the Targeted Pet Treats family into our organization. This combination expands Pestell’s product breadth into complementary products, allowing us to better serve our customers’ pet product needs. The TPT team, led by Greg Austin, has built a strong brand and culture which we are excited to now be a part of.”
Paul Peterson, Managing Director with Wind Point Partners, stated, “TPT is a perfect fit with Pestell and the acquisition helps us continue our strategic vision of building a diversified pet products platform. We believe TPT is poised for continued growth and look forward to partnering with the TPT team to further expand our presence in the treats space.”
The acquisition of TPT continues Wind Point’s long history of partnering and working with family-held businesses and marks Pestell’s second acquisition as the Company seeks to further expand its product offering and geographic presence for its customer base.
Rhonda Haverlack, Co-Owner of TPT, expressed, “We are extremely grateful for the support everyone has provided us over the years in helping us build what Targeted Pet Treats is today. In Pestell, we believe we have found the perfect new owners who will accelerate the growth trajectory of TPT while being great stewards for our associates and community.” Elliott Haverlack, Co-Owner of TPT, added, “We look forward to watching the continued success of TPT under the guidance and direction of Matt Miller and the great team at Pestell.”
Wind Point Partners acquired Pestell in June of 2018 in partnership with Matt Miller, a more than 20-year veteran of the pet and consumer industries. In cooperation with Matt and management of Pestell, Wind Point will seek to continue expanding the Pestell platform through a combination of organic growth and complementary acquisitions. The Wind Point investment team has considerable experience in consumer products, including the pet industry, which has been an area of focus for the firm since its founding in 1984.
Antares Capital, BMO Sponsor Finance and PennantPark led the debt financing for the transaction. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Pestell. Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP served as legal counsel to TPT.
About Pestell Group
Pestell is comprised of two distinct business units, which includes Pestell Minerals and Ingredients (“PMI”) and Pestell Pet Products (“PET”). PMI is a leading distributor of animal feed minerals and ingredients for a wide variety of livestock. PET is a full-line manufacturer of animal litter and bedding products and a co-manufacturer of dental pet treats. Pestell is headquartered in Ontario, Canada, with two business units that share warehousing and manufacturing space. Pestell also maintains 15 third party warehouses across North America for its animal feed products business.
Additional information about Pestell can be found at www.pestell.com.
About Wind Point Partners
Wind Point Partners is a Chicago-based private equity investment firm with approximately $2 billion in assets under management. Wind Point focuses on partnering with top caliber management teams to acquire well-positioned middle market businesses where it can establish a clear path to value creation. The firm targets investments in the consumer products, industrial products, and business services sectors. Wind Point is currently investing out of Wind Point Partners VIII, a $985 million fund that was initiated in 2016.
