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Freedom Pet Supplies, a Novacap Portfolio Company, Expands Nationally with Acquisition of Trueman Distribution

Written by Customer Service on . Posted in Mergers And Acquisitions.

MONTRÉAL, Dec. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Freedom Pet Supplies, a Novacap portfolio company and leading Canadian distributor of pet products, is proud to announce the acquisition of Trueman Distribution Ltd., a long-standing distributor headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.

This acquisition marks a significant milestone in Freedom Pet’s strategic plan to become a national player in the Canadian pet supply market. With Trueman’s established operations in Western Canada and a shared culture focused on operational excellence, the partnership creates a strong foundation for cross-country expansion.

“Acquiring Trueman is a major first step toward building a truly national business,” said John Ayres, CEO and Co-Founder of Freedom Pet Supplies. “Our journey began in 2001 with a small warehouse and a handful of dedicated people, and we’ve grown by staying true to our values — putting people first, earning trust, and serving our partners with integrity. Trueman shares that same foundation. With Novacap’s support, we’re now expanding westward, and I couldn’t be more excited for what this means for our team, our customers, and our vendors.”

John Ayres began his career in the pet industry in 1979 and with wife Kelly co-founded Freedom Pet Supplies in 2001. Under his leadership, the company has grown from a 15,000 sq. ft. warehouse to a 121,000 sq. ft. national distribution operation serving over 1,500 retailers across Canada.

Paul Trueman, President of Trueman Distribution Ltd., commented: “Joining Freedom Pet is a natural evolution for our company. We’ve always believed in putting our customers first, and we see the same approach in Freedom Pet. We are excited to work alongside a partner who shares our commitment to quality, service, and people.”

Founded over 30 years ago, Trueman Distribution is known for its service-first philosophy and strong values. The company’s Calgary facility offers significant capacity for growth and will become Freedom Pet’s Western Canadian hub. This partnership also creates new opportunities for employees, vendors, and customers across the country.

About Freedom Pet Supplies

Freedom Pet Supplies, founded in 2001 is a leading Canadian value-added distributor of pet supplies. The Company has grown to become a trusted partner to over 1,500 pet retailers across Eastern Canada offering a broad portfolio of over 150 brands. Freedom Pet Supplies works with premium brands to improve their reach with specialty pet retailers by leveraging their experienced marketing and sales teams as well as efficient distribution capabilities. The Company’s longstanding customer relationships and service standards enabled Freedom Pet Supplies to offer a unique value proposition to both vendors and retailers.

About Trueman Distribution Ltd.

Trueman Distribution Ltd. (TDL) is a leading distributor of wholesale pet products in Western Canada. Based in Alberta and family-owned, TDL serves pet retail stores, groomers, veterinarians, and feed stores, with a customer-first philosophy and strong principles at its core. TDL is proud to carry a focused assortment of high-quality brands in the pet specialty sector — including food, treats, litters, seeds, and supplies — and is committed to bridging meaningful relationships between manufacturers and retailers.

About Novacap

Novacap is a leading North American private equity investor and one of Canada’s most experienced private equity firms. Founded in 1981 to partner with visionary entrepreneurs, Novacap focuses on middle market and lower-middle market companies in four core sectors: Technologies, Digital Infrastructure, Industries and Financial Services. Novacap combines deep sector specific expertise and strategic and operational excellence to partner with entrepreneurs and management teams. Since its inception, the firm has made primary and add-on investments in more than 250 companies. With over CDN $15 billion in assets in assets under management and a presence across offices in Montreal, Toronto, and New York, Novacap accelerates value creation through strategic growth initiatives and a strong focus on execution.

For media inquiries:

Renata Kappaun
Senior advisor, communications, Novacap
rkappaun@novacap.ca

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