Employee-owned Kent veterinary group, Pennard Vets, has taken Abbotsley Vets in West Malling under its wing and is now making an investment to refurbish and update the practice following the acquisition.
Abbotsley Vets was founded on West Malling’s High Street in the 1960s and was most recently owned by Peter Foxell who has now retired from the business. The practice, which will now be known as Pennard Vets, West Malling, employs a team of six who are all staying in their roles and have become co-owners of Pennard Vets, as part of the company’s employee ownership trust, which launched last year.
Pennard Vets, which now has seven Kent practices and a 100-strong team is looking forward to integrating the team and investing in improving facilities for the team, clients and their pets.
By joining the group, West Malling’s clients will now have access to a wider range of treatments for their pets including innovative keyhole surgery and hydrotherapy.
Dr Caroline Collins, from Pennard Vets, said: “Abbotsley Vets is a longstanding practice, with an extensive and loyal client base, as well as an experienced team who have been there for many years and we’re delighted to welcome them all into Pennard Vets.
“We’ve been caring for family pets across Kent for 125 years and we’re all about the long-term bond between pet and owner. When Peter got in touch and told us about his retirement plans, we were keen to ensure that West Malling’s pet owners can continue to access quality veterinary care, which has been a staple of the town’s High Street for many decades.
“The practice is now benefitting from a significant investment programme which will further enhance the standards of service and care that clients and their pets receive, which will enable us to continue growing the practice. All this combined to make it a very exciting partnership.”
Peter Foxell, who took over the West Malling practice with registered veterinary nurse, Kim Foxell in 2000, said: “It’s been a pleasure to be the custodian of Abbotsley Vets for the past 22 years. As retirement approached, I had to carefully consider who to pass the practice to as it was important to find a safe home for our clients, their pets, and the team.
“Although there was a lot of interest, Pennard Vets has a very long history in Kent and an excellent reputation in the veterinary industry and there’s no doubt they will maintain the same standards of care and professionalism that our clients expect and deserve. I also prefer the concept of employee ownership over corporatisation.”
In addition to West Malling, Pennard Vets has practices in Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Maidstone, Allington, Borough Green and Langley Park.
In 2021 Pennard Vets became the largest veterinary practice in the world to become employee owned, through an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), meaning its 100-strong team are now practice owners and shareholders in the business.
