Nasta Pet Food Acquires FirstMate Pet Foods and Advances Its Presence in North America
Nasta Pet Food, the French-based, family-owned international group specializing in ultra-premium pet nutrition, has acquired independent premium pet food manufacturer FirstMate Pet Foods, the company announced on LinkedIn.
FirstMate will become the fourth brand under Nasta’s portfolio of brands that encompasses Bab’in, Forza 10 and Natural Code.
“We’re proud to welcome FirstMate Pet Foods to the Nasta Pet Food family,” Nasta Pet Food officials posted on LinkedIn. “Founded in 1989 in British Columbia, FirstMate has built a strong and trusted premium brand through a clear nutritional philosophy, a disciplined product approach, and a fully integrated manufacturing model. A brand deeply rooted in pet specialty retail, guided by long-term thinking and a genuine commitment to pet health.”
Nasta Pet Food now owns Taplow Ventures, FirstMate’s parent company, which will heighten Nasta Pet Food’s commercial and manufacturing platform in North America.
From the LinkedIn post: “This partnership brings together two family-owned companies that share the same beliefs: putting pets first, building brands with integrity, and creating sustainable value over time. We are excited to support FirstMate’s next chapter of development, while fully respecting its identity, its teams, and the vision that has guided the brand for more than three decades.”
The combined entity will represent more than 250 employees and consolidated industrial capacities of 54,000 tons of dry pet food and 4,000 tons of wet pet food per year. Together, the companies will serve more than 400,000 pet families per year and is anticipated to generate approximately EUR 200 million in consolidated revenue this year.
The acquisition represents a milestone in Nasta Pet Food’s international expansion plans by dramatically bolstering the company’s presence in North America, which is considered the world’s largest hub for pet nutrition while refining its portfolio with the addition of FirstMate, a premium brand firmly rooted in pet specialty retail.
Since 2016, Nasta Pet Food has maintained double-digit growth, driven by the development of its portfolio of brands, Forza10, Natural Code, and Bab’in, longevity as demonstrated by a company culture rooted in a rich 100-year history, a solid manufacturing platform, and a disciplined and measured long-term strategy. With a network of 135 employees, Nasta Pet Food operates integrated production facilities in France (Saint-Amans-Valtoret, Tarn) and Italy (Bagnoli di Sopra, Veneto), and produces 34,000 metric tons of dry food and 2,000 tons of wet food per year.
Nasta Pet Food has achieved international growth exceeding more than 20 percent per year and has set its sights on advancing in North America.
Michael Florian founded FirstMate Pet Foods in 1989 and was driven by the ideal that quality nutrition starts with full control over production. Since then, FirstMate has introduced single-protein and limited ingredient diet solutions to mindful pet parents that want to enhance their pets’ diets.
Nasta officials posted: “Welcome aboard, FirstMate Pet Foods, here’s to the next chapter, together.”