Sentinel Capital Partners Acquires Pet Supplies Plus

Adds Leading Independent Pet Franchisor

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Dec 13, 2018, 07:30 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sentinel Capital Partners, a private equity firm that invests in promising companies at the lower end of the midmarket, today announced the acquisition of Pet Supplies Plus ("PSP"), the third largest pet specialty chain in the U.S. and the largest "independent" pet-specialty operator. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, PSP is a leading franchisor and operator of pet-specialty stores that provide a customer-centric shopping experience in smaller stores that have a neighborhood feel. PSP blends the advantages of national scale with those of a friendly, local neighborhood pet store. Stores have a streamlined design, which makes them easy to navigate, and a wide assortment of natural foods, hard goods, and pet services. Serving 33 states, PSP's system comprises 448 stores, split evenly between franchised and company-owned locations. PSP also operates a distribution network with significant buying power that provides scale, profitability, and competitive operational advantages to its franchisees. Pet Supplies Plus is recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as the top full-service pet supplies franchise for its excellent performance, financial strength and stability, growth rate, and system size.

"PSP is the #1 pet franchise system in the U.S. with an expanding footprint and a large white-space opportunity," said Marc Buan, a Sentinel Principal. "The pet industry is very attractive due to its stability, growth, and passionate consumer base. PSP has a strong position in the pet retail segment and a very loyal customer base. Led by a highly committed and talented management team, PSP has delivered consistent performance and steady growth. We are excited to partner with PSP during the next phase of its growth."

"PSP combines the convenience, expertise, and high-touch experience of a local neighborhood pet store with the curated selection and value of a national player," said Chris Rowland, CEO of Pet Supplies Plus. "We look forward to partnering with Sentinel, a firm with deep franchising expertise, to help us drive revenue growth and geographic expansion."

Sentinel has broad experience investing in franchise businesses. Sentinel has acquired 13 franchise investments over the course of its history, including Border Foods, a franchisee in the Taco Bell system; Captain D's, a franchisor and operator of more than 500 Captain D's seafood restaurants; Checkers, a franchisor and operator of dual drive-thru quick service restaurants; Cottman Transmission Systems, a franchisor of automotive transmission centers; Falcon Holdings, the largest franchisee of Church's Chicken restaurants; Fazoli's, a regional franchisor and operator of Italian fast-casual restaurants; Interim Healthcare, the nation's largest provider of home healthcare and supplemental healthcare staffing services; Huddle House, a franchisor of family dining restaurants; Massage Envy, the nation's largest franchisor of therapeutic massage services; Newk's Eatery, a franchisor and operator of fast-casual restaurants in the Southeast; Southern California Pizza Company, the exclusive Pizza Hut franchisee in the greater Los Angeles market; TGI Fridays, a global franchisor and operator of iconic American-style bar and grill restaurants; and Tony Roma's, a franchisor of casual dining restaurants.

About Sentinel Capital Partners

Sentinel specializes in buying and building businesses in the lower midmarket in the United States and Canada in partnership with management. Sentinel targets aerospace and defense, business services, consumer, distribution, food and restaurants, franchising, healthcare, and industrial businesses. Sentinel invests in management buyouts, recapitalizations, corporate divestitures, and going-private transactions of established businesses with EBITDA of up to $65 million. Sentinel also invests in special situations, including balance sheet restructurings and operational turnarounds. For more information about Sentinel, visit www.sentinelpartners.com.

About Pet Supplies Plus

Pet Supplies Plus first opened a store in Redford, Michigan, in 1988, and since then, has grown to 448 franchised and corporate pet centers located in 33 states, making it the third largest pet-specialty retailer in the U.S. With more than 30 years of successful franchise and retail experience, PSP not only provides the tools essential for franchise operations to succeed and grow, but also the opportunity to achieve financial independence. In addition, PSP's franchisees enjoy working in an industry that is personally rewarding, and full of happy neighbors and furry friends. For more information, please visit www.petsuppliesplus.com.

Contact: Roland Tomforde
Broadgate Consultants
212-232-2222

SOURCE Sentinel Capital Partners