Greencross

The story of Greencross begins not in a boardroom, but in a small veterinary hospital in Townsville, Australia. In 1994, a veterinarian named Glen Richards purchased the practice, laying the first stone of what would become a pet care empire. The initial strategy was straightforward: acquire and consolidate veterinary services across the country. A key moment arrived in 2007 when Greencross went public on the Australian Securities Exchange, becoming the first veterinary practice in the nation to do so. This move provided the capital for further expansion. The business model evolved significantly in 2014 with the major acquisition of Mammoth Pet Holdings. This deal brought the retail chains Petbarn and Animates into the Greencross portfolio, integrating retail pet supplies with veterinary services under one corporate roof. The company’s journey as a public entity reached a turning point in 2019. Private equity firm TPG Capital announced its intention to purchase Greencross, a deal valued at approximately A$675 million. This acquisition took the company private, shifting its ownership structure and strategic direction away from the public market. Today, Greencross operates as a major integrated pet care company, combining retail stores like Petbarn with a large network of veterinary clinics.