Nasta Pet Food Acquires FirstMate, Expanding North American Presence
Nasta Pet Food, a French family-owned international group specializing in ultra-premium pet nutrition, today announced the acquisition of FirstMate Pet Foods, a premium independent manufacturer based in British Columbia, Canada. The acquisition significantly strengthens Nasta Pet Food’s industrial and organizational platform in North America.
Following the transaction, and with the integration of FirstMate and its parent company Taplow Ventures Ltd., now wholly owned by Nasta Pet Food, the combined group will represent over 250 employees and consolidated industrial capacities of 54,000 tons per year of dry pet food and 4,000 tons per year of wet pet food. The Group currently serves more than 400,000 pet-owning households annually and anticipates consolidated revenues of approximately €200 million in 2026.
Italian Operations and Investment
Nasta Pet Food’s presence in Italy is also a key component of the Group’s growth, through Forza10, a brand with 30 years of history focused on scientific research and functional nutrition for dogs and cats with food intolerances.
The Forza10 headquarters and production site are located in Bagnoli di Sopra (Padua), and have seen significant investment in recent years, including the transfer of wet pet food production from Iceland.
Approximately 70 employees work at the Veneto site, and further investments are planned, including the introduction of a dedicated line for filling pouches. This investment will expand production capacity and more effectively respond to growing market demand.
The production capacity of the plant reaches a maximum of approximately 12 tons per day, equivalent to about 60 tons per month and up to 650 tons per year.
The plant also focuses heavily on environmental sustainability: washing waters are treated via a chemical-physical-biological purification plant, while 320 kW of photovoltaic panels have been installed on the roofs of the production complex buildings, covering approximately 80% of the energy needs of the wet food department.
Last year, Forza10 also launched a special edition dedicated to cats featuring blue crab in a wet food recipe.
To support this acquisition, Nasta Pet Food has refinanced its business through the structuring of a €120 million unitranche senior financing with H.I.G. WhiteHorse. This refinancing operation will accelerate the development strategy of the consolidated Group.
This operation represents a key milestone in Nasta Pet Food’s international expansion strategy. It significantly strengthens its presence in North America, the largest market for pet nutrition, and enriches its portfolio with FirstMate, a premium brand firmly rooted in the specialized “pet specialty retail” channel and recognized for the quality of its offering, the consistency of its product architecture, and its integrated industrial model.
Since its founding in 2016, Nasta Pet Food has recorded sustained double-digit growth, driven by the development of strong brands (Natural Code, Forza 10, Babin), which have a combined history of over 100 years, by the excellence of its industrial apparatus, and by a well-structured long-term strategy.
The Group currently has 135 employees and integrated industrial capacities in France (Saint-Amans-Valtoret, Tarn) and Italy (Bagnoli di Sopra, Padua) equivalent to 34,000 tons per year of dry food and 2,000 tons per year of wet food. This dynamic also translates into international growth exceeding +20% annually, with a share of revenue generated outside Europe steadily increasing and a clear ambition to further accelerate development in North America.
Founded in 1989 by Michael Florian, inspired by the authentic marine universe of the West Coast of Canada, FirstMate Pet Foods was built on a strong conviction: quality nutrition begins with total control of production. The brand has established itself as a benchmark thanks to its pioneering approach to monoprotein nutrition (LID, Limited Ingredient Diet), declined in complete ranges of dry and wet foods, including Grain Free and Grain Friendly recipes.
FirstMate Pet Foods employs 120 people and has a unique integrated industrial model in North America, combining a kibble production plant and a cannery in British Columbia. The company currently has an annual production capacity of 20,000 tons of dry food and 2,000 tons of wet food. Its distribution is historically balanced between Canada and the United States, each representing approximately half of its sales.
Over the past three decades, FirstMate has evolved from a regional Canadian player to a premium brand distributed internationally, present in Canada and the United States, with a growing share of exports to Asia and some European markets, supported by lasting partnerships with specialized distributors.
This acquisition unites two companies that share a common long-term vision to promote animal health, ensure high nutritional quality, and create sustainable value. FirstMate Pet Foods will continue to operate independently, with full continuity of management, teams, production sites, integrated production model, and commercial and retail partnerships.
The operation illustrates Nasta Pet Food’s strategy of supporting brands founded by entrepreneurs, with solid foundations, by supporting their development through targeted investments in innovation, industrial excellence, research and development, and marketing capabilities, while preserving their identity and autonomy.
Geoffroy Lefebvre, President and CEO of Nasta Pet Food, stated: “FirstMate has built an exceptional reputation thanks to its uncompromising nutritional approach to quality, its integrated production model, and the lasting trust relationship with pet specialty retail. This acquisition fully aligns with Nasta Pet Food’s long-term strategy, which consists of supporting strong brands through targeted investments in research and development, industrial capabilities, and marketing, while ensuring full continuity for end customers, commercial partners, and suppliers. I would like to pay tribute to Michael Florian, the visionary founder of FirstMate, who has built a leading player and brought together a solid team that we are delighted to welcome into the Nasta community.”
For this acquisition, Nasta Pet Food was assisted by Norton Rose Fulbright and Bennett Jones LLP; FirstMate Pet Foods was assisted by Capital West Partners and Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. The refinancing operation was supported by Alantra, Hogan Lovells, Linklaters, Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Oderis and Indefi.
