Propelled Brands acquired Camp Bow Wow.
Following Propelled Brands’ acquisition of doggy daycare franchise Camp Bow Wow, brand President Julie Turner said the Camp Bow Wow’s mission remains the same: “We want to continue our mission of making dogs happy, which I have to say has got to be one of the best mission statements out there,” she said.
Propelled, parent of Fastsigns, My Salon Suite and NerdsToGo, purchased the 200-plus-unit franchise, adding to its service brands portfolio.
Propelled CEO Catherine Monson said dogs’ child-like status in family homes contributed to Camp Bow Wow’s success and will propel it forward.
“Yes, there are a lot of places you can put your dog, but the service and the quality that Camp Bow Wow brings … it is so based on service,” Monson said. “That fits beautifully into our investment thesis.”
Catherine Monson is the CEO of Propelled Brands.
The attraction was mutual, Turner said. “They bring a ton of experience in leading franchise owners to success and growing profitability,” she said. “That commitment to franchise excellence and those best practices that we’re going to be able to glean and bring to our franchisees and help make them more successful.”
Turner is staying on as brand president, where she’ll continue supporting franchisees.
“The goals are kind of the same that we’ve always had: to continue to support our franchise owners, help them become more successful,” Turner said.
Related: Propelled Brands Is New Vehicle for More B2B Acquisitions
The dog boarding space isn’t as crowded as other pet-related sectors, but Camp Bow Wow is joined by Dogtopia, which has more than 260 units and did $165 million in systemwide sales in 2022, a 44.6 percent increase over the previous year. Other dog daycare franchises include Central Bark, K9 Resorts, Hounds Town USA and Dogdrop.
This acquisition brings LightBay Capital- and Freeman Spogli-backed Propelled Brands to more than 1,300 locations. Camp Bow Wow did $198 million in 2022 and ended the year with 207 locations nationwide and in Canada.
Camp Bow Wow President Julie Turner
“We’re looking for ways to bring more franchisees into the system,” Monson said of Propelled’s newest brand. “We’re looking to grow each individual franchisee’s revenue, each individual franchisee’s profitability and adding more franchisees and more locations.”
Related: ‘You Can’t Fake Loving Dogs,’ Says Camp Bow Wow Exec
Propelled has grown its portfolio steadily over the years, and Monson expects that to continue going forward.
“We look forward to getting brand five and brand six and brand seven,” Monson said, “and continue to grow and continue to focus for all of our brands on franchisee profitability and satisfaction. It’s what we live for each and every day.”