WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — AUA Private Equity Partners announced Sept. 15 that its pet treat and supply subsidiary, Westminster Pet Products, LLC, has fully acquired Pet Ventures Inc. dba Pet ‘n Shape, an emerging pet treat and chew brand.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

“The combination of Westminster and Pet ‘n Shape allows us to build on the success Pet ‘n Shape has established in the online and e-commerce channels, and enables us to serve a larger customer base, across new channels, with a broader range of product offerings,” said Joe Flanigan, chief executive officer of Westminster Pet Products.

Pet ‘n Shape was founded by the Abramson family in 2005 and offers a line of branded, natural dog treats and chews, including offal chews, jerky treats and training treats for small, medium and large dogs. The treats are available in chicken, duck, beef and lamb proteins and animal byproduct ingredients. It also sells sweet potato treats in various formats and protein combinations.

“As part of the Westminster family, Pet ‘n Shape will have more resources and support to focus on continued growth and enhancing its value proposition to customers,” added Ahdee Abramson, founder and chief executive officer of Pet ‘n Shape. “On behalf of the entire Pet ‘n Shape team, we look forward to joining Westminster and to our combined continued success.”

Pet ‘n Shape is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand, selling through its own website and on Chewy.com. The company also offers subscription-based ordering on its website.

David Benyaminy, partner at AUA Private Equity who led the transaction, said, “We are excited to partner with Ahdee and his talented team to continue growing the Pet ‘n Shape brand. Pet ‘n Shape expands Westminster’s consumable offering and enhances its important and fast-growing e-commerce segment.”

AUA Private Equity, which acquired Westminster in October 2020, noted it is building a “seasoned executive leadership team” behind its Westminster brand, including Flanigan, who previously served as global pet specialty director at Mars, Inc.. Other recent hires include Kim Spang, chief financial officer, who held previous senior financial positions at Pabst Brewing and Welch Foods, Jorge Abud, chief commercial officer, who previously served as retail sales operations director for mass and pet specialty at Mars, and Jason Eldridge, vice president of marketing, who formerly served as global marketing director and e-commerce lead at Merisant Company.

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