CHICAGO and ST. LOUIS — Arbor Investments announced March 10 its portfolio company Red Collar Pet Foods has completed the sale of its pet treat facility in Miami, Okla., to Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.

“As a customer of Red Collar, Nestlé Purina recognized the quality of our plants, operations, and people,” said Tim Fallon, senior operating partner at Arbor. “For more than 25 years, they have produced some of the highest quality, nutritious treats in the industry and we’re gratified to know that our associates will join a world-class organization and continue that tradition.”

According to Arbor, Red Collar has divested more than $840 million of its business, but retains ownership of the brand and continues to operate in Joplin, Mo.

“We’re thrilled to complete this next divestiture at Red Collar, thanks to the collective efforts of the Red Collar and Arbor teams,” said Chris Tuffin, partner at Arbor. “The interest we received in the platform is a testament to the outstanding business our teams built.”

On Feb. 7, Nestlé Purina PetCare revealed plans to acquire Red Collar Pet Food’s pet treat facility located in Miami, Okla., from Red Collar’s parent company Arbor Investments. The facility will expand Purina’s pet treat capacity and serve as the 22^nd Purina-owned and operated facility throughout the United States.

“We look forward to welcoming the Red Collar team to the Purina family and becoming part of the Miami community,” said Nolan Terry, head of manufacturing for Nestlé Purina North America. “Working together, we can continue our shared legacy of operational excellence when it comes to the safety of our people and quality of our products.”

Purina selected Red Collar’s Miami facility based on its current production capabilities in soft and meaty pet treats, its future production potential, and Red Collar’s commitment to product quality and food safety. The pet food giant has worked with Red Collar since 2022 to co-manufacture many soft chew treats under Purina’s portfolio and the Zuke’s brand.

The facility will produce Purina’s current, and future, treat lines for dog and cats.

“The Miami, Okla., plant has a long legacy of industry-leading safety and quality, from the knowledgeable people to the high-quality, safe treats they produce,” said Jim Cohen, president and chief executive officer at Red Collar. “We are pleased that Miami's expertise, operational excellence and dedicated associates will be a great fit for Nestlé Purina.”

For Red Collar, this acquisition follows Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s acquisition of three of its facilities in October 2022. Red Collar sold the dry pet food facilities to Hill’s for $700 million with the intent to “fully focus on continuing to grow our pet treat co-manufacturing business,” according to Cohen.

For Purina, the acquisition follows a period of significant operational growth. The company is currently constructing two new dry pet food factories in Eden, NC., and Williamsburg Township, Ohio, which are slated to open in late 2023 and 2024, respectively. From 2020 to 2025, Purina is investing more than $2 billion in acquisitions and facility expansions.

“Continued innovation and expanded production capabilities are critical to help drive future growth in our treats business,” said Andrea Faccio, chief growth officer at Purina. “The Red Collar team has the expertise to add tremendous value to Purina as we pursue new opportunities to feed and treat dogs and cats.”

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