American private equity business Wind Point Partners has acquired UK pet food firm Assisi Pet Care Group.
Headquartered in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, Assisi owns brands such as Hi Life, Hollings and Pet Munchies, and sells branded and private label products across the UK and Europe. Founded by ceo Peter Mangion in 2020, the company was established as a platform to acquire, integrate and grow leading pet food and treat companies with established reputations and strong potential. Since 2020, Assisi has acquired four brands to date and has grown to over 300 employees.
Wind Point Partners is a Chicago-based private equity investment firm with approximately $6 billion in assets under management. The firm targets investments in the business services, consumer products and industrial products sectors and has experience in animal nutrition through prior and current investments including Targeted PetCare, FoodScience, Petmate and Pestell Nutrition.
Mangion has previously served as ceo of a Wind Point investment in the pest control industry. He said: “Assisi has been on a tremendous journey since its inception in 2020, which is a testament to the strength and quality of our people, our customer and supplier relationships and the rich heritage of our brands and products.
“Wind Point and I have worked closely together for numerous years. Our shared focus on investing in our people and expanding our capabilities makes them the ideal partner for Assisi.”
After the acquisition, John Howe, a member of Wind Point’s Executive Advisor Partner programme and former ceo of Compana Pet Brands, will serve as board chairman while Lora Van Velsor, former chief marketing officer at Compana, will also join Assisi’s board as non-executive director.
Adam Jump, vice president at Wind Point, added: “Assisi is a rapidly growing platform with significant opportunity in the dynamic European pet care industry. Peter and the Assisi management team have built an outstanding business that sits at an exciting inflection point. We look forward to supporting the Assisi team as they continue to build a differentiated pet foods and treats platform.”
