Cargill, one of the largestagricultural traders in the world, acquires Pro-Pet, North American pet food company. This step makes Cargill the only national supplier of both animal feed and pet food offerings in the agricultural retail space.

Cargill has reached an agreement to acquire Pro-Pet, an Ohio-based manufacturer of private label and co-manufactured pet foods, including premium dog food brand Black Gold. The acquisition makes Cargill the only national supplier of both animal feed and pet food offerings in the agricultural retail space. The transaction is subject to customary approvals. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Pro-Pet’s commitment to high-quality, safe pet food and passion for the pet food business is the perfect fit for our Cargill Animal Nutrition business, and allows us to better serve our customers seeking a focused supplier for both animal feed and pet food options,” said Pilar Cruz, president, Cargill Feed and Nutrition. Pro-Pet has three pet food manufacturing facilities in Owatonna, Minn.; St. Marys, Ohio; and Kansas City, Kan. Pro-Pet provides Cargill with increased production capacity and proximity to existing agricultural retail customers to better meet their growth needs within pet food. “Cargill’s vast resources and competency in sourcing of commodities, along with their reputation in the agricultural retail business sector, makes Cargill the natural and best partner for Pro-Pet,” said Jim Wiegmann, president and CEO of Pro-Pet.Pet food is a top-growing category among agriculture retailers with an estimated eight percent distribution share, in a space that continues to evolve with changing consumer preferences.Currently, Cargill operates 50 animal feed production and distribution facilities across the U.S., offering branded and private label pet food to agriculture retailer customers.