US-based food manufacturer General Mills has announced the purchase of European pet food business Edgard & Cooper.
Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Founded in 2016, Edgard & Cooper’s produces a range of meat, fish and plant-based cat and dog food, snacks and dental care treats, all said to be made with fresh, natural ingredients.
Headquartered in Kortrijk, Belgium, the group booked around €100m ($107m) in retail sales for 2023..
The business sells to 23 countries in Europe besides Belgium through specialty retailers and online. These include the Netherlands, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Hungary and Sweden, among others.
Following the transaction, Edgard & Cooper will be managed as “a separate operating unit”, with its founders Koen Bostoen, Jürgen Degrand and Louis Chalabi, continuing to lead business operations.
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The group’s financial results will be integrated into General Mills’ international segment.
General Mills said the move marked another advancement in its Accelerate strategy, which it launched in 2021.
As part of the plan, the Betty Crocker brand owner is looking to hit up to 3% in long-term annual organic growth.
It plans to do so by honing in its efforts on eight key markets and five global product categories. Besides pet food, which includes the Blue Buffalo brand, its other priority categories include ice cream, through its Häagen-Dazs label, Mexican food via its Old El Paso meal kits and its range of cereal and snacks brands.
Pet food made up $1.7bn of General Mills’ net sales in the nine months ended February 25, 2024, a 2% decline year-on-year.
Commenting on the latest acquisition, Jon Nudi, group president of the pet, international and North America foodservice division at General Mills said the Edgard & Cooper brand is “at the intersection of our Accelerate strategy’s core markets and global platforms”.
He added that the company “look forward to partnering together to advance their mission to revolutionize premium, natural pet food.”
Koen Bostoen, founder, Edgard & Cooper said: “Combining our brand’s natural positioning and commercial capabilities with General Mills’ marketing and supply chain expertise, we’re ready to accelerate Edgard & Cooper’s growth.”
