Manufacturer Inspired Pet Nutrition has become a £200m business, according to accounts made up to June 2023.
The Yorkshire-based company, whose brands include Wagg, Harringtons and Barking Heads, has achieved the milestone in its centenary year, having been founded by current chairman Richard Page’s grandfather in 1923. Sales have doubled in the last five years through organic growth and the acquisition of Pet Food UK Ltd in 2021.
The Page family business was originally set up as a wheat trading business, before moving into animal feeds in the mid-1920s. The company relaunched as a pet food business, Wagg Foods, in 1990.
Chairman Richard Page said: “As a family-founded business, there was always limited capital; everything had to be hard-earned and justified. It meant we wasted nothing, turning simple opportunities into money-making methods, took our losses quickly and moved on. Fundamentally, we made decisions and bet on ourselves.
“Hitting the £200 million sales mark is such a milestone for Inspired Pet Nutrition, but we always look ahead. Our financial forecast for the next five years is to more than double the business through both organic growth, by continuing to democratise the areas where we can offer the consumers better value, and M&A. Alongside this, the coming years will see more waste removed from packaging and the supply chain, improved customer service and a focus on growing our brands into new sub-categories – especially wet feeding and treats.
“Ultimately, our ambition is to become one of the ‘Big Three’ UK pet food manufacturers. We need to acquire more businesses and optimise the strength of our leading brands as they stretch into adjacent categories. Bringing new brands and manufacturing capabilities into the IPN platform will allow us to strive for even better pet nutrition that’s accessible to all.”
