Clearwater advises Town and Country Petfoods on its sale to Assisi Pet Care

Transaction

Town & Country Petfods sold to Assisi Pet Care

Sell-side

Undisclosed

Role

Adviser to Town & Country Petfoods on its sale to Assisi Pet Care

Sector

Consumer

Region

United Kingdom

Clearwater has advised Town & Country Petfoods Ltd (Town & Country), a provider of cat and dog foods and treats on its sale to Assis Pet Care (Assisi).

Town & Country, which markets an extensive range of dog and cat foods and treats, primarily under the HiLife brand, was established in 1974 by the Parkinson family and has been owned and successfully managed by family members continuously since then.

Assisi was established in October 2020 as a joint venture between founder Peter Mangion and Harwood Capital with the objective of creating, through buy and build, a significant player in the dynamic and fast-growing European Pet Care market. Simultaneous with its formation, Assisi acquired Hollings Ltd, the long established and market leading natural dog treats business. The acquisition of Town & Country broadens the Assisi offering into dog foods, as well as into the cat foods and treats categories.

As a family, we are delighted that our brand and our Melton Mowbray team will be playing such a pivotal role in Peter’s exciting and ambitious plans. The high quality of product and service that pet owners and trade customers have come to expect from HiLife will be the benchmark for the expanding business. We firmly believe it will bring a fresh, much needed presence in what remains one of the most satisfying markets to compete in.
Tony Parkinson, Town & Country’s Managing Director

We are very grateful to the Parkinson family for partnering with Assisi and for trusting us to help take the Town & Country business and the HiLife brand, on to this next phase of its development. I am personally delighted that Tony and Peter Parkinson, and their sister Julie Bitowt, have agreed to remain with the company into the future as we integrate our existing sales, marketing, finance and operations functions, into the well-established Town & Country teams based at Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. I am also grateful for the continued support of Harwood as we move, with pace, to deliver on the ambitious growth strategy on which we are embarked.
Peter Mangion, Assisi CEO

It was a pleasure to work with the Parkinson family and the Assisi team to deliver such a great result for all parties involved. Town & Country has found the perfect buyer and this transformational deal has created an enlarged business well-placed to offer a broader array of products to customers operating in the rapidly expanding pet care market. We would like to wish Tony and the entire team all the best for the future.
Rob Britton, Partner, Clearwater