W.F. Young Acquires Pure Ocean Botanicals

EAST LONGMEADOW — W.F. Young Inc., makers of Absorbine pet, equine, and livestock products, announced it has acquired Pure Ocean Botanicals, LLC of Petaluma, Calif.

Pure Ocean Botanicals products include Pet Kelp powdered supplements for dogs and cats, Kelpies soft chews for dogs, and Pet Kelp jerky for dogs. The acquisition expands Absorbine’s position in the pet-care market from its current topical flea/tick and grooming products into nutritional supplements, providing pet retailers with a more robust lineup from this dedicated animal health and wellness company.

“Since W.F. Young made the strategic decision to focus significant growth efforts in the companion animal market, we are always on the lookout for acquisitions to expand our presence, in addition to developing products in-house,” said Ken Oh, general manager, Pet Division. “Pure Ocean Botanicals is a perfect complement to our existing philosophy and way of doing business — namely, offering quality products intended to enhance the lives of our pets.”

Led by David Grover, who will remain involved as a consultant, Pure Ocean Botanicals was established in 2009. “W.F. Young has the sales and marketing strength and expertise to bring Pure Ocean Botanicals products to a much broader market,” Grover said. “I’m looking forward to helping expand distribution and consumer awareness of all our kelp-based nutritional supplements for dogs and cats.”

Many veterinarians and animal nutritionists recommend kelp as a holistic source of the essential nutrients pets require. Kelp, a class of seaweed, is known to be nutrient-rich, and kelp living in the ocean waters of Nova Scotia produce a particularly high nutrient content of 70 vitamins and minerals. The blend of Nova Scotia kelp used in Pure Ocean Botanicals products is among the purest and most nutrient-rich available, the company says.