Wind Point Partners, a Chicago-based private equity investment firm, announced today that it has sold portfolio company Petmate to Olympus Partners. Petmate is a leading innovator, marketer, and manufacturer of a wide range of pet products to a diverse base of retail partners.
Wind Point acquired Petmate in January 2011 and brought in industry executive Alice Tillett as CEO in 2014. Prior to Petmate, Alice had a twelve year career at Pacific Cycle, a former Wind Point portfolio company, most recently serving as President. Prior to Pacific Cycle, Alice was the Vice President of Sales at Huffy Bicycle Co.
“We have created significant value over the past few years by collaborating with customers on product innovation and acting as a one-stop solution to drive organic growth,” said Alice, CEO of Petmate. “As a worldwide leader of solutions in the pet industry and enabled by our world-class manufacturing facility in Arlington, Texas, we are committed to providing fun, trusted, quality products to enhance the lives of pets and families. Wind Point has been supportive to me and the entire Petmate organization, and we are grateful for their partnership throughout.”
Paul Peterson, a Managing Director at Wind Point stated, “Petmate is another example of how Wind Point’s strategy of partnering with top caliber CEOs such as Alice can transform a business. Alice and her team executed on the value creation plan by building Petmate’s category management and product innovation capabilities, improving productivity, and completing add-on acquisitions.”
Reed Smith LLP acted as legal advisor to Wind Point Partners and Petmate. Harris Williams & Co. served as financial advisor, and BKD, LLP provided accounting services in connection with the transaction.
About Wind Point Partners
Wind Point Partners is a private equity investment firm that has raised over $3 billion in commitments since 1984. Wind Point focuses on partnering with top caliber management teams to acquire middle market businesses where it can establish a clear path to value creation. Additional information about Wind Point is available at www.windpointpartners.com.
About Petmate
Petmate, headquartered in Arlington, Texas, has been a leading manufacturer of pet products for more than 50 years. The Company’s product categories include: Hard Goods (Carriers, Feeding and Watering, Shelters, Wire Kennels, and Cat Products), Toys (Dog, Cat, Other), and Soft Goods (Bedding, Collars & Leashes). With over 4,000 active SKUs, Petmate offers a strong value proposition to its diversified customer base through its product design, vertically integrated manufacturing facilities, engineering capabilities, extensive product offerings, and full-service merchandising solutions.Additional information about Petmate is available at www.petmate.com.
About Olympus
Founded in 1988, Olympus manages over $5.5 billion on behalf of corporate pension plans, public retirement systems, university endowment funds and the executives of Olympus’ portfolio companies. Olympus Growth Fund VI, its latest fund, has committed capital of $2.3 billion. Additional information about Olympus Partners is available at www.olympuspartners.com.
