After establishing four thriving animal hospitals, Nova Scotia-based Village Veterinary Group were approached to sell their practice. However, they weren't willing to sell to just any buyer—it had to had to be the right one.
Their story started with the opening of Eastern Passage Village Veterinary Clinic, followed by East Hants Animal Hospital, Bedford Parks Animal Hospital, and North End Animal Hospital, ultimately forming Village Veterinary Group. Together, these four hospitals have grown a loyal and growing patient base of thousands of customers.
VCA Canada Animal Hospitals (VCA)—an organization made up of over 150 hospitals with 4,000 associates across six provinces—wanted to grow their family of hospitals and continue supporting customers and their pets across Canada. They were impressed by Village Veterinary Group’s business model combined with high standards of care and felt they would be a great addition to their family. Our team at Grant Thornton helped Village Veterinary Group assess whether VCA would be the right fit as their buyer.
We helped to streamline many aspects of the selling process and brought in advisors from across service-lines to assist with the transaction, from project management to accounting, and corporate and personal tax planning services. Along with navigating priorities from a financial perspective, we helped to advise on the change management component of the deal to help make the transition smoother for employees.
With their shared goals of putting patients first, this deal meant clients could keep receiving the service they’re accustomed to, while benefiting from increased health resources for their pet. Village Veterinary Group felt confident in their decision to sell, knowing their legacy of providing the best possible animal care would continue for Nova Scotians.
Client
Village Veterinary Group
Transaction type
Divestiture
Services provided
M&A
Sector
Veterinary services
Close date
June, 2022
"Working with the professional team at Grant Thornton has been important to a successful and low-stress transition in our business. Every member of their team is extremely attentive and responsive with excellent communication skills. We knew that we could depend on them to advise us throughout the transaction. They provided guidance as we negotiated the deal, set LOI, and worked through the deal terms, financials, taxes, and closing.
We cannot recommend the Grant Thornton team enough as they have far exceeded our expectations. If you’re making a large transition in your business, you need to surround yourself with professionals you can trust. We would never undergo any future business transitions without engaging them to be valued members of our team."
Dr. Courtney Sherlock, Owner
Village Veterinary Group"
Our M&A team helped the owners of Grizzly Lodge successfully sell their business, supporting with the entire process from preparing marketing documents and finding the right buyer, to negotiations and bringing the deal to a close.
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