Mars completes acquisition of Heska, global provider of advanced veterinary diagnostic and specialty solutions
Heska becomes part of Mars Petcare’s Science & Diagnostics division to broaden access to diagnostics and technology, accelerate R&D and innovation, and better serve more veterinary professionals and pets.
McLean, VA (June 13, 2023) — Mars, Incorporated (“Mars”) today announced the successful completion of Mars’ acquisition of Heska. On April 3, 2023, the companies announced they had entered into a definitive agreement under which Mars agreed to acquire Heska for $120.00 per share. Heska is now part of Mars Petcare’s Science & Diagnostics division, enabling broader coverage across diagnostics and technology, while accelerating R&D and expanding access globally to pet healthcare solutions.
Nefertiti Greene, President, Mars Science & Diagnostics, said: “It’s an honor to welcome Heska to the Science & Diagnostics division of Mars Petcare. Like us, Heska has grown into a purpose-driven business, supporting veterinary professionals globally. I am excited about what we can achieve with a full diagnostics portfolio across reference laboratories, point-of-care, imaging and technology solutions, rapid diagnostics, telemedicine and software solutions and services. We will continue to drive our R&D efforts to deliver innovative diagnostic solutions to help keep pets healthy, in service of our purpose: A Better World For Pets™.”
Advisors
Lazard served as Mars’ financial advisor, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as Mars’ legal advisor.
BofA Securities, Inc. and Piper Sandler & Co. served as Heska’s financial advisor, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP acted as Heska’s legal advisor.
Media Contacts
Mars, Incorporated Media Inquiries:
Brunswick Group
Blake Sonnenshein/Sayagi Vallipuram
bsonnenshein@brunswickgroup.com(Opens a new window) / svallipuram@brunswickgroup.com(Opens a new window)
About Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a global, family-owned business, Mars is transforming, innovating, and evolving to make a positive impact on the world.
Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of quality confectionery, food, and pet care products and services, we employ 140,000+ dedicated Associates. With almost $45 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including Ben’s Original™, CESAR®, Cocoavia®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, KIND®, M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, and WHISKAS®. We are creating a better world for pets through our global network of pet hospitals and diagnostic services – including AniCura, Antech, BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, Linnaeus, and VCA™ – using cutting edge technology to develop breakthrough programs in genetic health screening and DNA testing.
For more information about Mars, please visit Mars.com. Join us on Facebook(Opens a new window), Instagram(Opens a new window), LinkedIn(Opens a new window) and YouTube(Opens a new window).
About Mars Science & Diagnostics
Mars Science & Diagnostics is a division of Mars Petcare(Opens a new window), a diverse business dedicated to one purpose: A Better World for PetsTM. Science & Diagnostics brings together the power of leading pet health science with expertise across diagnostics, data, and technology to change outcomes in pet health. Our global veterinary diagnostics businesses Antech(Opens a new window) with Heska(Opens a new window) span point-of-care diagnostic laboratory instruments and consumables including rapid assay diagnostic products and digital cytology services; local and cloud-based data services; practice information management software and related software and support, reference laboratories, veterinary imaging and technology, education and telemedicine with board-certified specialist support services. Our at-home diagnostics offering includes Whistle(Opens a new window) with smart devices to monitor pet health and Wisdom Panel(Opens a new window), the world’s most accurate pet DNA test. For 60 years our Waltham Petcare Science Institute(Opens a new window) has been advancing science to better understand pet health.
