A YORK headquartered veterinary group has grown its portfolio to almost 300 sites across the UK with the acquisition of a livestock specialist.

Holgate-based VetPartners has announced the acquisition of Origin Group, which owns businesses operating across farm, pig and poultry, as well as a laboratory and consulting business.

The deal sees the expansion of VetPartner’s existing farm division, and the creation of the biggest and most diverse production animal team in the UK.

The name of Origin will eventually be phased out, while the small animal part of Origin’s Oakwood Veterinary Group will become part of VetPartners’ companion animal division.

Origin’s current chief executive, Mike Tims, will join the VetPartners management team as operations director – Production Animal, and the expansion of the group will lead to the establishment of a new Production Animal Board, with members drawn from existing practices and future acquisitions.

VetPartners chief executive Jo Malone said: “This latest exciting development underlines our commitment to our growing farm division and will bring benefits of scale, local support for our teams and access to a wide range of excellent specialist services, as well as the focus and drive to move this part of our business forward.

“We now have some of the very best veterinary businesses from each species within our group. The next 12 months will see further growth in each of our species groups, as well as mixed practices.”

The deal was made possible by the backing of Ares, one of the largest global alternative asset managers, and August Equity, one of the UK’s leading private equity firms specialising in veterinary services.

Origin chief executive Mike Tims said: “We are proud to be joining VetPartners, which gives us the opportunity to work alongside other leading farm animal practices like Willows, Hampden, Hale, Penbode and Abbey.

“We are joining the fastest growing, fully diversified veterinary service group in Europe.

“There will be huge benefits to our employees, with fresh career opportunities and new ways of working, while it also ensures we have the ambition, funds and expertise to build a great place to work that provides innovative and industry leading solutions for our clients.”

Penbode Vets, a five-site mixed practices based in Cornwall, joined VetPartners earlier this month.

VetPartners, which now has 3,500 employees, has also established a Graduate Development Programme across its small animal, equine and farm divisions.