Yesterday, General Mills, Inc. and longtime Wilton based, Blue Buffalo Pet Products, Inc. announced that they entered into a definitive agreement. General Mills will buy Blue Buffalo for $40.00 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of approximately $8.0 billion, according to a press release.
Founded in 2002 by the Bishop family of Wilton, Blue Buffalo was established after the family lost their dog "Blue" to cancer. Blue Buffalo is a super-premium pet food created by using only the finest natural ingredients starting with real chicken, lamb or fish.
Blue Buffalo is the fastest growing major pet food company making natural foods and treats for dogs and cats under the BLUE brand, according to the press release published yesterday.
Blue Buffalo wrote this letter to their loyal customers yesterday and published it on their Facebook Page.
We are excited to let you know that Blue Buffalo will be joining the General Mills family of brands that includes such natural and organic favorites as Annie’s®, Cascadian Farm®, Larabar® and Epic® foods.
This new partnership will allow Blue Buffalo to continue to provide the finest natural foods and treats for our furry family members as well as help us develop new and exciting product innovations.
In addition, General Mills shares our single-minded focus on product quality, and fully supports our “giving back” initiatives in Pet Cancer Research, and providing Service Dogs for Military Veterans.
Thank you for being a Blue Buffalo pet parent, and we look forward to feeding your pet like family for years to come.
Read the Blue Buffalo story here.
*Image courtesy Blue Buffalo Facebook.