Northern Ireland Pet Health Company Booms During Lockdown

Family-run company, Macahl Animal Health, based in Moy County Tyrone, has been investing locally by expanding their manufacturing facilities and work force, with strong benefits for the regional economy. This growth comes amid a year of record sales despite the uncertainties of running an essential business in the shifting sands of the pandemic.

The company ethos remains family-led 15 years after launching, and includes continuing to focus on the importance of expanding their base in Northern Ireland from where they now export to over 50 countries around the world.

Anthony Mackle, Managing Director of Macahl Animal Health explains: ‘We aim to be forward-thinking and innovative in our approach to pet health, and are delighted that this has translated to increased demand for our products, so that we could invest €125,000 in new equipment to greatly increase our capacity and create more jobs within our team. While our products are now sold all over the world, we are still a Northern Irish company at heart, and our business growth strategy heavily reflects this.’

The pet sector has been shown to be relatively recession resistant, and the company believes that their sales trajectory will continue, especially given the rise in pet ownership during lockdown. Sales to the UK veterinary market alone have increased by 27% compared with the previous year, and the company has entered into a collaboration with a leading pharmaceutical Laboratoire TVM France to increase reach within French veterinary practices.

Anthony adds, ‘We are passionate about improving the lives of pets, and it is really important for us to work with vets to ensure more patients have access to Oralade. Vets find that Oralade is very useful for encouraging extremely sick patients to eat and drink which can improve recovery from surgery, as well as promoting gut and kidney health.’

Oralade, manufactured by Macahl Animal Health, has recently been reported to be the UK’s Number 1 veterinary oral rehydration support for cats and dogs*. Anthony says, ‘This is a big achievement for our team, and we have similar aspirations in other countries by further promoting our global exports. In doing so, we will be able to invest even more in infrastructure at a regional level in Northern Ireland.’

*https://oralade.com/uncategorized/uks-number-1-veterinary-oral-rehydration-support/