13th January 2021
Following the acquisition of aniMate in November 2020, Pets Choice are celebrating a successful month-long transition of the aniMate assets from their base in Ripponden,West Yorkshire to Pets Choice Headquarters at Whitebirk Industrial Estate in Blackburn.
Bringing aniMate into the fold adds an additional 1,250 product lines to the Pets Choice portfolio and signifies their expansion into the pet accessories market. Brand Manager, Michael Haigh who has been leading the integration of aniMate into Pets Choice comments, “As with any acquisition there were challenges to face, such as increasing our warehouse capacity and stock holding very quickly to not only house the products, but to ensure a smooth transition and continued high levels of service and reliable deliveries to our customers. We met the task head on, and with lots of logistical thinking and hard work from the team, we have completed a successful move with limited disruption.”
The transition of the brand has also created several new jobs in Blackburn at a variety of levels from warehouse operatives through to head office staff, and sees the company employ their first ever in-house seamstress. Michael continues, “It was incredibly important to us that we take on the manufacturing of the ‘Made in Britain’ products, so we are creating a dedicated seamstress room in our factory to accommodate the manufacturing of fleece crate mats and pet blankets right here in Lancashire. This is a really exciting move for the business as we expand our expertise from the manufacturing of pet food and treats into accessories too.” The acquisition of aniMate and the continued expansion of Pets Choice will soon allow for more jobs to be created in Blackburn.
Pets Choice have big plans for all three brands (aniMate™, WalkingMate™ and Outhwaite Pets™) that sit under the aniMate umbrella. They plan to invest in a full brand refresh to put the brands in prime position to be market leaders for mid-market and premium dog accessories and home furnishings.
