C&D Foods Group acquired Arovit

Pet food manufacturer C&D Foods Group has acquired Danish company Arovit Acquisitions to become the second-biggest private label operator in this sector in Europe.

Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, Philip Reynolds, chief executive of C&D Foods, said the deal would give the enlarged company turnover of about €320 million this year. “We will hopefully now have a customer base that stretches right across Europe,” Mr Reynolds said. The deal is subject to competition clearance in Germany. No acquisition price was disclosed but it is understood that C&D has acquired Arovit’s debts as part of the deal. These are believed to be more than eight million euro. Mr Reynolds said the enlarged business would now rank behind Saturn Pet Foods as the second-biggest private label manufacturer of pet foods.

Arovit’s product range complements C&D’s and includes cans, pouches, alutrays, dry food and treats. Its brands are Jolly, Wooffy, Naturalise, First Class, Triple Crown and Canter. It produces 250,000 tonnes of product annually and has a turnover of €200 million. The business has had several owners in the past decade and has not been profitable in recent times.