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California  + Retail  | 

Mars Acquiring VCA for $7.7B

Los Angeles-based VCA Inc., a leading chain of animal hospitals, is being acquired by candy and pet-care giant Mars Inc. for $7.7 billion. VCA operates nearly 800 hospitals and 60 diagnostic labs across the U.S. and Canada. California is its largest market.

VCA successfully consolidated a fragmented veterinary and pet-care industry via acquisitions by combining hospitals, diagnostic labs and veterinarians into a single network.

VCA pans to remain based in LA and continue operating under the VCA name. The company counts roughly 1,400 employees in SoCal and 23,000 overall.

Mars is a century-old company with a major pet-care unit, including pet food brands Pedigree, Whiskas and Sheba, as well as Banfield Pet Hospitals, primarily located in PetSmart Inc. retail locations.

Both companies’ directors approved the deal, but it must also be approved by VCA stockholders. The transaction is expected to be completed in Q3 2017.

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Dennis Kaiser

Connect

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About Dennis Kaiser

Dennis Kaiser is Vice President of Public Relations and Communications for Connect Creative. Dennis is a communications leader with more than 40 years of experience including as a journalist and in corporate and agency marketing communications roles. He is responsible for Connect Creative’s agency client services and is involved in a range of initiatives ranging from public relations and content strategy, communications and message development, copywriting, media relations, social media and content marketing services. Prior to joining Connect Media in 2015, his most recent corporate communications roles involved leading a regional public relations effort across Southern California for CBRE, playing a key marketing role on JLL’s national retail team, and directing the global public relations effort at ValleyCrest (BrightView), the nation’s largest commercial landscape services company. He has worked on marketing communications assignments for such CRE companies as Blackstone/Equity Office, Carlyle, Caruso, Disney Resorts, GE Capital, Irvine Company, Hines, Howard Hughes Corp., Jeffries, Lennar, MGM, Marcus & Millichap, Prologis, Raleigh Studios, Simon, Starwood, Trammell Crow Company, Transamerica, UBS and Wynn Resorts. Dennis has also worked on communications and launch strategies for a number of consumer electronic, media and tech brands including SlingMedia, Channel Master, Deluxe Media Entertainment, BeIn Sports, EchoStar and Sprint. Dennis’s agency background included firms such as Off Madison Ave., Idea Hall and Macy + Associates. He has earned an outstanding reputation with organization leaders as a trusted advisor, strategic program implementer, consensus builder and exceptional collaborator. Dennis has developed and managed national communications programs for Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, both public and private. He’s successfully worked with journalists across the globe representing clients involved in major-breaking news stories, product launches, media tours, and company news announcements. Dennis has been involved in a host of charitable and community organizations including the American Cancer Society, Easter Seals, Boy Scouts, Chrysalis Foundation, Freedom For Life, HOLA, L.A.’s BEST, Reach Out and Read, Super Bowl Host Committee, and the Thunderbirds Charities.

  • ◦Sale/Acquisition
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