ZIWI
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Founder | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Awatoto, New Zealand |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Premium pet food |
| Owner | FountainVest Partners |
| Website | ziwipets |
ZIWI Limited, marketed as ZIWI Pets, is a ultra-premium pet food brand from New Zealand.
Owned by FountainVest Partners, ZIWI is New Zealand’s largest pet food exporter, representing over 50 percent of all pet food exports across 35 markets including the USA, China, Korea, Japan, Australia and Europe.[1][2][3]
The "alternative to raw" pet food is made with ethically sourced New Zealand ingredients, guided by New Zealand’s Freedom Principles, that include grass-fed beef, lamb and venison, free-range chicken and sustainably sourced seafood.[4] To preserve raw nutrition within its range of dry products, ZIWI pioneered Z-TWINTECH, the world’s first gentle air-drying technology.[5] Z-MicroSteam is its latest innovation, producing a lighter texture, while freeze-dried processes are also used.[6]
ZIWI manufactures in Awatoto, Hawke's Bay, a region famous for export quality agriculture and produce.[7][8] The brand new, USD 52 million (NZD 85 million) 30,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility is home to the ZIWI’s Super Kitchen, cannery and trademarked technology.[9][10] ZIWI has support operations and offices across New Zealand in Christchurch, Tauranga and Auckland, with global offices in Overland Park, Kansas and Shanghai.[11]
History
[edit]ZIWI was founded in Mount Manganui, Tauranga, New Zealand in 2002.[12] It derived its name from a combination of "Kiwi," a common nickname for New Zealanders, and "Peak," symbolizing top-tier nutrition and referencing its Mount Maunganui origins.[12]
Founded in New Zealand by Peter and Kimberley Mitchell, Peter Mitchell launched into a pet food venture after decades of working in the New Zealand meat industry.[12] The entrepreneurs aimed to combine the nutrition of a raw, carnivorous diet with the convenience of ready-to-serve food. Their recipes featured highly digestible meat, organs, fish, green mussels, and bone, free from fillers and artificial binders.[12]
After two years of research and development, ZIWI Peak® was born, manufactured from its original Mount Manganui, Tauranga site in 2004.[13]
ZIWI’s ambition was to export 98% of its production and by 2007, was selling to the United States, establishing a US office by 2010. By 2011, ZIWI was exporting to 15 countries, entering China by 2016.[14][15]
In 2020, ZIWI announced it would relocate manufacturing from Tauranga to a state-of-the-art site in Awatoto, Hawke’s Bay.[16]
In 2021, ZIWI was acquired by private equity firm, FountainVest Partners.[17] At the time, Bloomberg reported the deal to be worth $1.5 billion and came as part of increased investor interest in the premium pet food sector.[18] By this time, it was reported to export to more than 30 markets.[17]
In 2022, ZIWI acquired Freeze Dried Foods NZ.[19] In August of the same year, ZIWI opened the doors of its new Awatoto, Hawke’s Bay Super Kitchen,[20] only to be hit by the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023.[21]Within five months, ZIWI’s operations had recovered.[21][22]
Today, ZIWI continues to expand its Awatoto site and today exports to 35 countries across the globe.[23]
References
[edit]- ^ "ZIWI remains top manufacturer/exporter with new facilities and innovations". Waterford Press. 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ Team, Exporter Today Editorial (2024-08-01). "ZIWI crowned Hawke's Bay ASB Exporter of the Year 2024". Exporter Today. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "'Global success story': Pet food giant Ziwi crowned Hawke's Bay Exporter of The Year". NZ Herald. 2024-10-16. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "Farms, Farmers, And Fisheries | ZIWI®". ZIWI® Global. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "Discover Z-TWINTECH Air-Dried Technology: Ziwi's Innovative & Nutritious Pet Food Solution". PeekAPaw Pet Supplies. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "The cutting-edge process behind ZIWI's new Steam & Dried pet food | Pet Food Processing". www.petfoodprocessing.net. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "New $70m pet food factory coming to Napier, 125 new jobs once complete". NZ Herald. 2024-10-16. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "Hawke's Bay / Te Matau-a-Māui". Grow Regions. 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "'Extensive rebuild' begins at $85m super-kitchen in Awatoto, months after opening". NZ Herald. 2024-10-16. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "'Largest in New Zealand': $85m pet food super kitchen nearly complete in Awatoto". NZ Herald. 2022-02-21. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "Locations". ZIWI. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- ^ a b c d Polyn, Glenn (2017-05-02). "Ziwi Unleashed: New Look is Just the Beginning". www.petage.com. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "Our story and ethics | ZIWI®". ZIWI® Global. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "Food firms hungry for place at China's big table | investinchina.chinadaily.com.cn". investinchina.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "Being different pays dividends". NZ Herald. 2010-10-12. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "New Zealand pet food brand to break ground on new $70 million facility in August | 2020-07-08 | Pet Food Processing". www.petfoodprocessing.net. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ a b Coyne, Andy (2021-09-23). "NZ pet-food company Ziwi acquired by Hong Kong PE firm FountainVest". Just Food. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ^ "Pet food is a 'hot' sector that's attracting investment". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ^ "ZIWI Peak pet food maker buys freeze-dry company". PetfoodIndustry. 2022-09-07. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "New $70m pet food factory coming to Napier, 125 new jobs once complete". NZ Herald. 2024-10-17. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ^ a b "'Extensive rebuild' begins at $85m super-kitchen in Awatoto, months after opening". NZ Herald. 2024-10-17. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ^ "$100m pet-food factory reopens after floods". NZ Herald. 2024-10-17. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ^ "'Global success story': Pet food giant Ziwi crowned Hawke's Bay Exporter of The Year". NZ Herald. 2024-10-17. Retrieved 2024-10-17.