Spectrum Brands ­acquires Armitage

Armitage is based in Nottingham, UK, and was founded in the late 1700s as a retail and grocery store. The year 1963 marked the beginning of its pet food business with the acquisition of Good Boy, a brand specialising in dog food and treats.
Mark Andrews, ­CEO of Armitage, says: "Since then, we have expanded our business with a strong focus on treats for dogs and cats. Today, with our four brands Good Boy, Meowee, Wildbird and Wafcol, we are proud to be one of the leading suppliers of treats, toys and seasonal pet care in the UK."
Spectrum Brands is a leading consumer products company. The pet care portfolio includes brands like Tetra, 8in1, Furminator, Iams and Eukanuba, DreamBone and SmartBones.

By adding Armitage and its brands to the portfolio, Spectrum Brands is pursuing its objective of offering innovative pet products to customers and consumers. "The acquisition will create opportunities to combine the companies' strengths and competencies," states the company in a press notice.
Armitage is well established in British retailing and offers an attractive assortment of not only dog products, but also cat chews, treats and toys. Spectrum Brands is strong in pet speciality in the UK and has gained increasing market share in the dog chews and treats market, especially with the SmartBones brand.

"The Armitage dog chews and treats will nicely complement our brands and their position in the market," concludes Eric Beukeboom, vice-president of Spectrum Brands Pet EMEA. He adds that "by joining forces with Armitage, we can leverage even more the huge potential in the growing chew and treat market for cats and dogs - not only in the UK, but across continental Europe and beyond."
From a global perspective, this addition is a very good fit, as Spectrum Brands has defined the chew and treat category globally as a strategic growth opportunity in the pet care portfolio.