Worldwise Names Senior Pet Industry Executive Jeff Sutherland as COO

Worldwise, a leading pet supplies platform and a portfolio company of A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”), a middle-market private equity investment fund that is part of the A&M Capital platform, together with A&M Capital Opportunities Fund, an affiliated fund, announced today that Jeff Sutherland has joined the Company as its Chief Operating Officer (“COO”), effective immediately. A proven operator with more than 30 years of diverse pet industry experience, Sutherland will work closely with the Company’s CEO Kevin Fick, its management team and its private equity sponsor to further optimize enterprise-wide operations and support the Company’s continued growth.

“Jeff is an accomplished executive and esteemed leader within our industry and bringing him onboard is a major development for Worldwise,” said Fick. “As a company that is fast-growing, it is critical that we build an elite team to support and manage our evolution. I believe the skillset, experience and relationships that Jeff possesses will help strengthen several key areas of our business — from sales, distribution and manufacturing, to acquisitions, team building and brand management. On behalf of the entire Worldwise family, I want to welcome Jeff to the team.”

Sutherland joins Worldwise from Redbarn Products (“Redbarn”), a family-owned manufacturer of premium pet food, treats and chews, where he served as President since August 2017. During his time at Redbarn, Sutherland oversaw company-wide operations and helped grow the business significantly in less than five years. Prior to Redbarn, Sutherland held numerous senior roles in operations, marketing and sales with Animal Supply Company, a leading distributor of wholesale pet products and Central Garden & Pet, one of the country’s largest distributors of leading brands in the lawn, garden and pet supplies sectors. Sutherland, who attended Northern Arizona University, resides in Southern California with his wife, children and three dogs.

“Worldwise is a tremendous company with an outstanding team and compelling growth prospects, and I could not be more excited to start this new role with them,” said Sutherland. “The Company has taken significant steps to position itself as an emerging leader in the pet products space, which was what initially drew my attention to this opportunity. Once I learned more about the business and the people behind it — including the partners at AMCP — I knew it was the right place for me. I want to thank Kevin and the Worldwise team for their warm welcome, and I look forward to contributing to this impressive organization for years to come.”

Worldwise manufactures and distributes a diverse portfolio of high-quality brands across several attractive product categories, including pet chews and treats, toys, litter accessories, pet bedding and more. The Company’s complementary brands are available through big-box, specialty and independent retail, as well as through major ecommerce partners such as Amazon and Chewy. For more information about Worldwise, please visit Worldwise.