# Merrick Pet Food Purchases Castor & Pollux



## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

Boooo! I don't like/trust Merrick at all, and they are now buying Castor & Pollux (who I thought was a decent food).

Ah well, another one bites the dust (IMO). 

Merrick Pet Food Purchases Castor & Pollux

Announced today (April 16, 2012), "Merrick Pet Care, Inc. today signed an agreement to acquire Castor & Pollux Natural PetWorks, a privately held natural and organic pet food business based in Clackamas, Ore. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed."


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

Merrick has had a lot of quality control problems, hasn't it?


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

What does castor andpollux produce?


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

I personally don't put to much into companies being taken over by others. It's the ebb and flow of business. It remains to be seen if this will be a negative or not. On the other hand, Merrick, like so many others that have grown big, doesn't have the best of records.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

I don't love it. 

Castor Pollux had some nice options...some even really mainstream in grocery stores settings.

Oh well. Fromm, Wellness, and Champion. Please just stay put.


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

The two companies already have the beginning of a merged website: Home | www.castorpolluxpet.com

While I've not fed Castor & Pollux, it is sold a lot around here in Portland. It's headquarters in Clackamas is a suburb. I never could find out though who actually manufactured the food . . . which is one reason why I never tried it. Guess it's not important now, because I don't have any warm fuzzy feelings for Merrick.


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## NotAChampionFan (Apr 6, 2012)

kevin bradley said:


> I don't love it.
> 
> Castor Pollux had some nice options...some even really mainstream in grocery stores settings.
> 
> Oh well. Fromm, Wellness, and Champion. Please just stay put.


Kevin, Champion went down too. You must have missed it. Bedford Capital controls it now. 

The new CEO is Frank Burdzy the watchdog of the new owner. Mr. Burdzy's resume says he has worked in the propane and fertilizer business.

Wellness sold out a couple years back to Berwind, which largely has industrial and chemical interests. Eagle, Holistic Select & Wellness are all under the same tent. Wellness is made by Diamond now.


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## dr tim (Mar 27, 2011)

You have to keep your track shoes on, Kevin, to keep up with these. Wellness is actually made at least 4 different plants.


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

NotAChampionFan said:


> Kevin, Champion went down too. You must have missed it. Bedford Capital controls it now.
> 
> The new CEO is Frank Burdzy the watchdog of the new owner. Mr. Burdzy's resume says he has worked in the propane and fertilizer business.
> 
> Wellness sold out a couple years back to Berwind, which largely has industrial and chemical interests. Eagle, Holistic Select & Wellness are all under the same tent. Wellness is made by Diamond now.


I might be off here, but from what i read Bedford Capital does not own Champion dog foods, what they are doing is facilitating the transition of ownership from one generation to the next. The previous owner can no longer run the business so they need someone to maintain it in the interim. Now whether or not this will have any negative impact on the quality of product has yet to be seen. Bedford is an investment firm, so i don't think they are seeking any long term control.


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## NotAChampionFan (Apr 6, 2012)

KittyKat said:


> I might be off here, but from what i read Bedford Capital does not own Champion dog foods, what they are doing is facilitating the transition of ownership from one generation to the next. The previous owner can no longer run the business so they need someone to maintain it in the interim. Now whether or not this will have any negative impact on the quality of product has yet to be seen. Bedford is an investment firm, so i don't think they are seeking any long term control.


Oh lord no. The family sold the company. Perhaps one son is involved in some way but they have no say. The guy from Bedford running the show is Tim Bowman and he brought in Frank Burdsy as the CEO. Within three years Bedford will try to turn a profit on it by selling it to Nestle, Mars or Proctor. That is what management buyout groups do. And I can pretty much GTY there will be a version of the food in the big box stores. There is no growth at all in independent stores.

Don't believe what you read that Bedford is transitioning the company from father to son. That is total bull. That is just business speak for "we bought the dad out and gave the kid a job". LOLOLO 

Buyout firms have investors and those investors want a profit fast so it can be invested in something else. Nature's Variety and Wellness are also owned by similar buy-out firms. As soon as the ink was dry they shut the Old Mother Hubbard plant where Wellness was made and contracted with Diamond and some others.

This the real world not one person at Bedford gives a hoot about your dog.

My guess is that Nestle buys Champion within 3 years perhaps sooner.


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