Kinderhook Industries LLC has acquired Fairfield, CA-based Primal Pet Foods.
With this acquisition, Kinderhook will bring together portfolio companies Primal Pet Foods and Prairie Dog Pet Products, a premium specialty manufacturer and marketer of freeze-dried, smoked and natural dog treats. This combination together with the Himalayan and Holisitic Hound brands creates the newly formed Primal Pet Group, or PPG.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The PPG manufacturing presence spans facilities in California, Washington, Colorado and Texas. The formation of PPG will enable expanded output across manufactured product lines while increasing food safety and innovation, according to a Kinderhook press release.
“We are incredibly excited to bring together Primal Pet Foods and Prairie Dog Pet Products under the Primal Pet Group umbrella,” said Tom Tuttle, managing director, Kinderhook. “Primal is well-positioned for growth with leading brands, an experienced management team and Kinderhook’s significant investment in an expanded state-of-the-art manufacturing footprint that creates the capacity to meet growing customer demand for minimally processed products. We look forward to partnering with management as they build capabilities and rapidly scale the business.”
Timothy W. Simonds has been appointed CEO of PPG. Simonds brings accomplished pet industry experience having most recently served as CEO of Merrick Pet Care, where he demonstrated success growing revenue, scaling operations and improving profitability. His career spans more than 30 years including senior roles leading brand strategy and marketing for the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, General Electric, United Airlines and Procter & Gamble Co.
“Research proves that minimally processed diets using quality ingredients helps improve the health and well-being of our pets, and the market continues to demand more of these premium products,” said Simonds. “It is an exciting time to join Primal, as we bring together these trusted brands with a shared commitment to significantly improving the lives of pets. I look forward to working with our more than 500 team members and our distribution and retail partners as we grow and scale our business.”
Travis Moore joins the company as chief operating officer and Matt Koss has been named chief product officer. Matt Pirz, chief strategy officer, and Jeff Camosci, chief revenue officer, will continue in their current roles.
Koss founded Primal Pet Foods in 2001 and as president oversaw all aspects of the company, growing Primal into a major manufacturer of raw frozen and freeze-dried foods for dogs and cats with global distribution in North America, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and South Korea.
Mike Kelly has also been named to a newly created role as Primal Pet Group’s director of research and development and technical services.
Founded in 2003, Kinderhook Industries is a private investment firm that manages over $3.3 billion of committed capital.