LISBON, OHIO — BrightPet Nutrition Group announced its acquisition of Bravo! Pet Foods, a manufacturer of raw and freeze-dried pet food products, on Oct. 20. The acquisition is BrightPet’s second transaction in two years and is expected to expand the company’s capabilities.

Founded in 2002, Bravo was one of the first brands to manufacture and sell frozen raw and freeze-dried pet food products, according to the brand. Bravo offers a range of pet treats, chews, supplements, complete-and-balanced diets and customizable pet nutrition meal plans, including Bravo! Homestyle, Bravo! Balance, Bravo! Blends, Bravo! Basics, and Bravo! Boneless.

“The Bravo brand is widely known and has been respected for more than 20 years,” said Dave Kowal, chief executive officer of BrightPet. “We believe Bravo’s commitment to innovation, premium ingredients and the highest standard of manufacturing aligns well with BrightPet. This acquisition supports our vision to be the most valued pet platform in the industry. By expanding our branded portfolio and strengthening our production capabilities, we expect to continue the growth trajectory BrightPet has established over the past few years.”

BrightPet serves more than 30 international pet nutrition markets, offering branded, private label and contract manufacturing capabilities. The company is owned by private equity A&M Capital Partners (AMCP) and has an extensive portfolio, which includes Stewart®, Blackwood®, Adirondack®, By Nature®, Miracle Care® and Hamilton® brands.

Melinda Miller, former chief executive officer of Bravo, will join BrightPet as vice president of Bravo Brands. Miller has extensive experience in pet nutrition, formulation and innovation and will aid in the integration of Bravo under BrightPet.

“We could not be more excited for Bravo to join the BrightPet family of brands,” Miller said. “We believe BrightPet and AMCP immediately provide complementary resources, enabling the creation of new products for years to come. BrightPet’s commitment to innovation, quality, reliability and safety provide an unmatched foundation to grow together.”

AMCP acquired BrightPet in October 2020, and BrightPet has since expanded, acquiring MiracleCorp in January 2021.

“When we acquired BrightPet, our goal was to grow the company into a premier platform in pet food, treats, and care products, with a differentiated portfolio of meaningful brands and best-in-industry production capabilities,” said Ryan McCarthy, partner at AMCP. “In the two years since our acquisition, BrightPet has achieved significant domestic and international growth in super-premium product categories and increased share in high-growth channels, including e-commerce.

“We have completed two strategic acquisitions and have more than doubled the company’s revenues, the number of brands in our portfolio, and, most importantly, invested heavily in manufacturing capabilities to consistently deliver new and innovative product offerings,” McCarthy said. “We believe our domestic production capabilities, growing portfolio of brands, and industry-leading innovation are compelling differentiators for those looking for a manufacturing partner or to become part of a larger platform. We look forward to continuing to add complementary and accretive businesses to the BrightPet family.”

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