NEW YORK — Private equity firm PAI Partners announced its acquisition of Alphia Inc., a notable pet food co-manufacturer, from J.H. Whitney Capital Partners. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Alphia was originally formed in 2020 through the merger of American Nutrition, Inc. and C.J. Foods Inc., following J.H. Whitney’s acquisition of C.J. Foods in 2014.

“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,” said David McLain, president and chief executive officer of Alphia. “PAI is committed to our ongoing vision for growth and shares the common values of innovation, food safety and industry leadership.”

Alphia is headquartered in Denver and serves as one of the largest co-manufacturers of pet food products in North America, according to the company, producing more than 1 billion lbs of dry pet food and treats, annually. Among its various co-man partnerships, Alphia serves as the manufacturer of Better Choice Company’s Halo brand, following a recent investment in the company.

Alongside expansive manufacturing capabilities, Alphia also provides pet food companies and brands with milling, R&D, innovation, warehousing, transportation and distribution services.

“We have had a great partnership with the Alphia management team,” said Bob Williams, senior managing director at J.H. Whitney. “Through deep investment in people, systems and facilities, with a constant focus on customers, Alphia has developed into a leading and pre-eminent co-manufacturer in the pet food industry. We are proud of the team and look forward to seeing Alphia continue its successful growth with PAI.”

Alphia currently operates six manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and serves as the parent company of LANI, a business focused on ingredient milling, and Veracity, a warehousing and logistics company. All this enables Alphia to provide its pet food customers with complete, farm-to-bowl solutions, according to the company.

“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,” said Winston Song, partner and consumer lead at PAI. “Pet parents continue to seek out innovation, quality and value — Alphia has set the industry standard as the trusted partner to many leading brands and retailers. We look forward to partnering with David McLain and his mission-driven team as we continue to invest behind Alphia to grow and scale the platform.”

According to PAI, the acquisition underlines its expertise in the food and consumer sectors, as well as its experience in pet food co-manufacturing. The private equity firm has previously invested in Royal Canin, Provimi, Diana Pet Food and Refresco.

Alphia will receive support from PAI to accelerate its growth in North America, both organically and through acquisitions.

“We are excited to announce our investment in Alphia, which represents our second platform in the United States,” said Maud Brown, partner and head of the US team at PAI. “We are committed to building the PAI franchise in the United States and look forward to our continued growth and success in this market.”

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