Pure Treats, a Canadian producer of pet treats and food, has announced an agreement to acquire Bar W Foods and 18 Below (18 Below).
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The deal includes 18 Below’s “human-grade” meat processing and freeze-drying facility in Fort Worth, Texas, US.
By incorporating 18 Below's operations, PureBites, a brand of Pure Treats, is expected to expand its product line and capacity to meet the rising demand for “high-quality” freeze-dried pet treats, food, and toppers.
With a 65-year history in Fort Worth, Texas, 18 Below operates a USDA-inspected kitchen, producing ground beef and hamburger patties for the restaurant and grocery sectors.
Paul Wehba, the owner and CEO of 18 Below, will maintain his role, overseeing operations at the Fort Worth kitchen, supported by his entire management team.
PureBites president Marc Cathcart said: “We are ecstatic for the opportunities this acquisition brings our brands, our customers, and our loyal Pet Parents. 18 Below operates a leading human-grade kitchen that has been making RAW freeze-dried treats, food and toppers for pets for the past 11 years.
“They are led by Paul Wehba and his passionate team who are obsessed with delivering the best quality meat and fish products to people and pets throughout North America.”
Wehba added: “When we decided to get into the pet industry 11 years ago, our friends at PureBites were one of our first customers. There are not many privately held leading pet food and treat companies left, and their obsession with using high-quality, human-grade ingredients in their minimally processed treats, food and toppers fit perfectly with our vision.
“We are so happy to be joining the PureBites family as our 80-member team will be transitioning from one 2nd generation private company to another.”
Pure Treats, headquartered outside of Montreal, Quebec, is known for its PureBites and PureSnacks brands, which are distributed both online and in “thousands of neighbourhood pet stores” across North America.
