PAI Partners, a private-equity company, has reached an agreement to purchase Alphia, a pet food manufacturer based in North America, from J.H. Whitney Capital Partners.

The specifics of the deal’s terms were not made public.

PAI Partners intends to expedite Alphia’s growth in North America through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions.

In May, there were reports that Alphia had initiated an exploration of its future possibilities, which encompassed the potential for a sale. During that period, Reuters indicated that the company was collaborating with investment bank Goldman Sachs to explore a potential agreement that might have assessed the business at over $1 billion.

“PAI is committed to our ongoing vision for growth and shares the common values of innovation, food safety and industry leadership,” Alphia CEO David McLain said yesterday (24 August). “We appreciate the many years of support and partnership with J.H. Whitney, during which time we created Alphia, one of the leading pet-food co-manufacturing platforms in the world.”

Winston Song, who heads PAI’s consumer division in the United States, asserted that Alphia has established itself as the benchmark within the industry, serving as a valued partner to numerous brands and retailers.

“Alphia is a best-in-class company and plays an invaluable role in the value chain of pet food and treats, an exciting consumer category with strong secular tailwinds,” Song said.

Based in Denver, Alphia operates from six manufacturing facilities spread throughout the United States.

Annually, it manufactures over 1 billion pounds of dry pet food and treats, acting as the producer for various pet food brands and retailers.

Alphia serves as the parent company for LANI, a business specializing in ingredient milling solutions, and Veracity, a provider of warehousing and logistics services.

In 2020, Alphia was established as a result of the merger between American Nutrition and C.J. Foods, forming a comprehensive national platform for pet food manufacturing. J.H. Whitney had previously acquired C.J. Foods, the predecessor of Alphia, in 2014.

During June, Alphia made a $5 million investment in Better Choice, a company focused on pet health and wellness. This arrangement resulted in Alphia taking on the role of the manufacturer for Halo, the prominent dog and cat food subsidiary and brand under Better Choice.