Veterinary chains Mission, Southern plan merger

[japple]

https://news.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=210&catId=612&Id=12221520
THE MADNESS CONTINUES...

Mission Veterinary Partners and Southern Veterinary Partners are planning a merger that would create one of the largest owners of veterinary practices in the United States.

...

Word had already spread about the prospective merger, sparking a petition calling on the U.S. government to block any such deal on the grounds it would be anti-competitive. The petition, started on June 28, has gathered 193 signatures as of today. It was created by an unnamed licensed veterinary technician and practice manager.

Southern Veterinary Partners, based in Birmingham, Alabama, has more than 400 practices, while Mission Veterinary Partners, based in Southfield, Michigan, has more than 330, according to their respective websites. The private equity firm Shore Capital Partners is a major investor in both.

A combined company with more than 730 practices would rank high in size among corporate consolidators operating in the U.S. The largest is Mars Inc., with more than 2,000 practices under the brands Banfield, VCA and BluePearl. Other large players include National Veterinary Associates, Vetcor and Thrive, which own more than 1,400, 880 and 380 practices, respectively, according to their websites.