Germany’s number-two meat group buys pet food business / Credit: Chendongshan / Shutterstock.com

Germany-based meat giant Westfleisch has expanded its pet-food arm with the acquisition of local specialist The Petfood Company.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

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Westfleisch already does business in dry pet food, selling products under its Dog’s Nature brand in Europe and the US.

The Petfood Company, based in Bocholt in western Germany, focuses on wet pet-food products and manufactures for private-label clients.

“With this takeover, we have taken a further step towards extending our own value chain,” Westfleisch CEO Dr Wilhelm Uffelmann said.

“Given 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.”

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In a statement, COO Johannes Steinhoff said the business chose the private-label manufacturer because it is “a very well-positioned producer in the wet pet food sector and has a state-of-the-art production facility”.

He added: “With our raw materials, our experience and our network, as well as the targeted realisation of synergies, we will expand production in Bocholt [the location of the plant], develop the production facility sustainably and secure around 60 jobs for the future.”

Westfleisch, Germany’s second-largest meat processor, now operates at ten locations in the country. It sells meat products for German retailers’ fresh-food counters and finished products for the refrigerated aisles.

In 2022, Westfleisch saw its sales increase 17.3% to €3.01bn amid, the company pointed out in its annual report, a decline in per-capita meat consumption in Germany of 4.2kg to just under 52kg.

The group also has a foothold in the market for plant-based meat, selling products under the Farmway brand.