WellPet
Encyclopedia
WellPet LLC is a cat and dog food company formed by the combination of Eagle Pack Pet Foods and Old Mother Hubbard, after both had been purchased by Berwind Corporation
. Their brand names are Wellness, Holistic Select, Eagle Pack, Prism, Hy-Ration, Old Mother Hubbard, Holistix, and (previously) Neura Meats. The company is a fully owned subsidiary of Berwind Corporation, along with (among others) Elmer's Glue
and the National Pen Company.
Old Mother Hubbard was founded in 1926, as an off-shoot of the A. Hubbard and Sons Bakery in Gloucester, Massachusetts
, making small dog biscuits. In 1961, the company was purchased by Jim Scott, a professional in animal
nutrition
, and moved to Lowell, Massachusetts
. In the 1990s, Jim Scott Jr., then CEO of the company, worked with a team of animal nutrition experts to develop the Wellness brand dog and cat foods, which went on the market in 1999 and 2000, respectively.
In 2004 the Scott family recapitalized under the Catterton Partners
investment group, who retained partial ownership with the Scott family. In 2005, OMH shut down their food production facility in Lowell, laying off over 100 employees. At this point, Old Mother Hubbard produced none of their own products, as manufacturing was outsourced between 11 different contracted companies.
, they have not been involved in any recalls
.
, alleging that Wellness's claim of "human grade" was untrue, and that the food contained feathers and non-human-grade cuts of meat. The case was dismissed with prejudice on November 18th, 2010.
Berwind Corporation
Berwind Corporation is a large privately held American corporation historically involved in the coal industry....
. Their brand names are Wellness, Holistic Select, Eagle Pack, Prism, Hy-Ration, Old Mother Hubbard, Holistix, and (previously) Neura Meats. The company is a fully owned subsidiary of Berwind Corporation, along with (among others) Elmer's Glue
Elmer's Products, Inc.
Elmer's Products, Inc. is the manufacturer of Elmer's Glue-All and other crafts and home repair products, including Krazy Glue, Ross Glue, ProBond adhesives, and X-Acto craft knives. Elmer's also produces foamboard and presentation board. It has its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.The brand was...
and the National Pen Company.
Old Mother Hubbard
Old Mother Hubbard was founded in 1926, as an off-shoot of the A. Hubbard and Sons Bakery in Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
, making small dog biscuits. In 1961, the company was purchased by Jim Scott, a professional in animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
, and moved to Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
. In the 1990s, Jim Scott Jr., then CEO of the company, worked with a team of animal nutrition experts to develop the Wellness brand dog and cat foods, which went on the market in 1999 and 2000, respectively.
In 2004 the Scott family recapitalized under the Catterton Partners
Catterton Partners
Catterton Partners is a private equity firm specializing in leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and growth capital investments in middle-market companies...
investment group, who retained partial ownership with the Scott family. In 2005, OMH shut down their food production facility in Lowell, laying off over 100 employees. At this point, Old Mother Hubbard produced none of their own products, as manufacturing was outsourced between 11 different contracted companies.
Eagle Pack
Eagle Pack started in 1970, producing their Hy-Ration brand dog food. In 2000, the Eagle Pack Holistic Select line was launched. In September 2004, Eagle Pack was purchased by Swander Pace Capital. SPC hoped to increase efficiency by "transition from a family-run business." SPC redesigned the packaging, and spent $1.3 Million on expanding the warehouse, outsourced the freight logistics while expanding the sales force, and replaced many in management (including the CFO). Although their cans are produced by Menu FoodsMenu Foods
Menu Foods Limited, based in Streetsville in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and was the largest maker of wet cat and dog food in North America, with its products sold under 95 brand names, which the company identifies as supermarkets, big box and pet product retailers and wholesalers...
, they have not been involved in any recalls
2007 pet food recalls
The 2007 pet food recalls comprise the contamination and wide recall of many brands of cat and dog foods beginning in March 2007, and the ensuing developments involving the human food supply. The recalls in North America, Europe, and South Africa came in response to reports of renal failure in pets...
.
WellPet
In October 2007 Eagle Pack was sold to Berwind Corporation for an undisclosed amount. In August of 2008 Wellness/Old Mother Hubbard was sold to Berwind for $400 Million, generating a 7x profit on Catterton's initial investment. Between 2008 and 2009, Eagle and OMH were merged into a single entity, Wellpet LLC. Around 90 of the company's 200+ employees are salespeople. In 2009, a lawsuit was filed against Wellness and PetCoPETCO
PETCO is a chain of retail stores that offers pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training. Founded in 1965 and incorporated in Delaware, it is headquartered in San Diego, California...
, alleging that Wellness's claim of "human grade" was untrue, and that the food contained feathers and non-human-grade cuts of meat. The case was dismissed with prejudice on November 18th, 2010.