The Spanish company Cotecnica buys Arezzo-based Life Pet Care, 40 million

The Italian pet market is attracting foreign companies. Thus, Cotecnica, already highly internationalised in pet food, acquires the Arezzo-based Life Pet Care.

The Iberian cooperative, headquartered in Lleida and with its head office in Bellpuig (Catalonia), incorporates a company of ours which, in 2025, generated turnover of over 40 million euros (more than 41 to be precise) and a profit of over 3,2 million.

Life Pet Care is known as Life Natural

Life Pet Care, although it is present in territories such as the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Greece and Latvia, it focuses mainly on our domestic market, one of the most important in Europe.

Indeed, in 2025, according to Circana, the sector, combining food and non-food, was worth as much as, in Italy, 5,3 billion euros, with a growth rate of 2,6 per cent.

The Tuscan company, owner of the umbrella brand Life Natural, is specialised, as its name suggests, in a healthy diet for pets, with particular attention to dogs and cats, for which it offers a wide range of dry and wet food.

It relies on experienced veterinary surgeons as consultants and partners.

Arcaplanet and PetStore Conad among its customers

Life Natural is present in a great many shops, especially in central Italy, including major chains such as Arcaplanet, Risparmio Casa and the Pac2000A Conad PetStores.

Cotecnica, on the other hand, consists of 10 associated cooperatives, from Catalonia, Aragon and Castile and León. It is dedicated to research into animal nutrition and the development of natural and responsible products, based on quality ingredients sourced locally.

Founded in 1982 as a producer of feed additives and vitamin-mineral premixes, milk replacers and veterinary medicines, it launched, in 1991, the pet food division, which today represents a pillar of its business.

Cotecnica: a major export-oriented company

The group currently employs 190 people and offers 250 pet foods: the lion's share consists of the 208 brand references from Ownat.

The super-cooperative—which in 2025 recorded revenue of over 169,2 million euros, up by 7% —is committed to the collaborative economy. In other words, it works with local suppliers and makes the most of the agricultural and livestock resources of individual areas, always favouring locally sourced ingredients, strengthening its commitment to partner cooperatives and consolidating a sustainable and responsible production model.

The acquisition enables Cotecnica to strengthen its strategy in the Italian market, which it considers strategic, and to open up new commercial synergies at pan-European level. Moreover, even before this acquisition, the international division accounted for 66% of the group's pet food sales.

The agreement aims to preserve and enhance the assets created by the Italian company. To this end, Cotecnica will retain the operations, the structure of the Life Natural brand and the entire team, ensuring the continuity of the business project.

According to David Sánchez, Cotecnica CEO: “This acquisition is fully in line with our strategic international growth plan and enables us to take a significant step forward in Europe. The integration of Life Pet Care gives us a high-level, highly specialised brand and provides us with direct access in Italy to a key sales network”.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.