VetPartners has continued the expansion of its farm division with the acquisition of one of the UK’s leading production animal veterinary groups.
The addition of Origin group, which owns some of the best known businesses operating across farming, including pig and poultry, as well as a laboratory and consulting business, will create, the business said, by far the biggest, most diverse production animal team in the UK.
It will be joining VetPartners’ existing production animal network, including Willows Veterinary Group, Hampden Vets, Abbey Veterinary Group, Hale Veterinary Group and Penbode Vets, and the latest acquisition expands the depth and breadth of the group’s portfolio of companion animal, farm and equine practices.
The Origin group has some of the UK’s leading production animal health businesses, including Biobest Laboratories, Garth Pig Vets, Poultry Health Services, Westpoint Farm Vets and Kingshay Farming and Conservation.
The name of Origin will eventually be phased out as individual businesses within their group are so strong in their own right, while the small animal part of Oakwood Veterinary Group will become part of VetPartners’ companion animal division.
Origin’s current chief executive, Mike Tims, will join the VetPartners management team as operations director – production animal, and the expansion of the group will lead to the establishment of a new Production Animal Board, with members drawn from existing practices and future acquisitions.
More than 70 small animal, equine and farm practices are now part of VetPartners, which has 3,500 employees working across nearly 300 sites across the UK and from its headquarters at Leeman House in York.
VetPartners chief executive Jo Malone (pictured) said: “This latest exciting development underlines our commitment to our growing farm division and will bring benefits of scale, local support for our teams and access to a wide range of excellent specialist services, as well as the focus and drive to move this part of our business forward.
“We now have some of the very best veterinary businesses from each species within our group. The next 12 months will see further growth in each of our species groups, as well as mixed practices.”
