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New partnership

C & S Products purchased by California company

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
A C & S Products Co. Inc. sign marks the company’s facility at Central Avenue and 16th Street in Fort Dodge. Central Garden & Pet has acquired the company.

C & S Products Co. Inc., a Fort Dodge-based producer of wild bird food, has been acquired by a California company that makes similar products.

Central Garden & Pet Co., of Walnut Creek, California, obtained the local company in a deal confirmed by representatives of both companies. The terms of the transaction have not been revealed.

Kevin Alstott, the owner and chief executive officer of the Fort Dodge company; and Karen Alstott, who is owner and president of the company; wrote a statement on the transaction, which was released Thursday by Central Garden & Pet Co.

”We wanted to make you all aware that we’ve joined with Central Garden & Pet to build a partnership for growth for our business for the years to come,” the Alstotts wrote.

”The result of our partnership won’t result in any changes to our employees and the Fort Dodge area,” they added. ”We’ll still be called C & S, the people and management will remain the same and Karen and I will continue to lead the business. The advantage of our partnership is that we’ll have access to greater market resources and capital to continue to build our business.”

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
The main plant of C & S Products Co. Inc. on Cardinal Avenue on the north side of Fort Dodge is shown Thursday afternoon. The company has been acquired by Central Pet & Garden.

C & S Products makes a kind of wild bird food called suet. The Alstotts wrote that the company is the ”market leader in wild bird suet.”

The company has two facilities in Fort Dodge: a main plant on Cardinal Avenue on the city’s north side and a site at Central Avenue and 16th Street. It has about 60 employees.

It was established in 1986. There was a $3.1 million expansion of the main plant in 2011. A new warehouse was built nearby in 2013.

Central Garden & Pet Co. was established in 1980. Its many products include Kaytee pet and bird food and supplies and Zodiac flea and tick control items. It posts more than $1.8 million in annual sales and has a workforce of about 5,000 employees.

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