5.5.8.1Vertical

Contract Pet Food Manufacturing

Co-manufacturers producing private label and contract pet food products for brands and retailers.

Market snapshot

These figures describe Pet Food Manufacturing (5.5.8), the segment that Contract Pet Food Manufacturing sits within — not Contract Pet Food Manufacturing on its own.

Market size
~$28B
Growth
~3.4%CAGR (2017–22, nominal)
Companies
~440
FragmentationConsolidatingEstimate

U.S. Census Bureau 2022 CBP/Economic Census, NAICS 311111 (dog & cat food); livestock/animal feed (311119) is tracked under agriculture. The figure understates fast-growing fresh/refrigerated pet food in adjacent codes.

Business model & economics

Revenue model

Branded pet-food shipments across price tiers

Key economics

Recurring revenue
High

recurring, non-discretionary pet demand

EBITDA margin
Strong

premium pet economics

Capex intensity
High

Characteristics

  • Pet humanization and premiumization drive growth.
  • Shift to natural, fresh, and functional nutrition.
  • Among the most M&A-active food categories.

M&A deal context

Deal activityHigh

Who’s acquiring

  • Pet-food & CPG majors
  • PE- and VC-backed premium/fresh platforms
  • Emerging-brand acquirers

What’s driving deals

  • Acquisition of premium and fresh pet brands.
  • Pet-humanization and premiumization trends.
  • Functional and natural pet nutrition.

Find Contract Pet Food Manufacturing acquisition targets

Search Acquisera’s index for companies classified under Contract Pet Food Manufacturing (5.5.8.1) and build a targeted deal pipeline.

Search companies