£2m revamp completed by new owners of pet food brand

New owners of a West Midlands raw pet food company have made a near £2m investment into a new premises alongside new products.

Husband and wife team Giles and Gill Bower ran a steel manufacturing firm for two decades, before being bought out by a Swedish firm in January.

Now, the pair has acquired Albion Meat Products and will create jobs once its move from Pershore, to a 19,062 sq ft unit on the Waterloo Industrial Estate in Bidford-on-Avon for £1.15m, has completed.

The firm is also introducing a new range of products alongside its well-established line of raw dog food.

Giles Bower said: “When we were looking for a new business to invest in, my wife said she would like it to be something involving animals, and then we heard about Albion Meat Products coming up for sale.
 
“It has been owned by the same family for 41 years and the owners are staying on to advise us for a couple of years. But the premises in Pershore prevents any further growth – there isn’t room to swing a cat”.

The factory has had to be completely refitted as it was previously used to manufacture tractors.

The retrofit has involved the investment of another £750,000 which includes the installation of a 150 kilowatt solar panel array on the roof, which will save around £50,000 a year on our energy bills, says Giles.

Ian Parker, joint managing director at John Truslove, worked with Giles and Gill Bower to help them secure the purchase of the 19,062 sq ft unit, which consists of a 13,059 sq ft ground floor and a 6,003 sq ft mezzanine.
 
Parker said: “This was a complex deal that took several months to complete but, thanks to the patience and good will of both sides, a successful outcome was achieved. Mr and Mrs Bower have impressive plans for this business but needed premises large enough for substantial growth”.

Solicitors from Wright Hassall in Warwick advised Albion Meat Products in the acquisition.