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Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-state area. In addition to this update from Key West, Iowa, we will share more developments in Tuesday’s edition.
KEY WEST, Iowa — Two area veterinary clinics have merged into a single Key West-based practice.
PetMed Animal Health Center recently acquired Key West Animal Health Clinic. The combined practice now is known as PetMed of Key West Veterinary Clinic and will operate out of the original Key West Animal Health Clinic building at 2262 Flint Hill Drive.
“We’ve literally just combined like a big Brady Bunch family,” said veterinarian and PetMed owner Mackenzie Hellert. “It’s been really exciting learning how to work together to help clients and their pets with this transition.”
Hellert was contacted earlier this year by longtime Key West Animal Health Clinic owner Kim Bergfeld about the possibility of purchasing Bergfeld’s business. Hellert said the purchase seemed like a good fit for PetMed, which was also based in Key West and looking to expand.
Hellert moved forward with the sale, and the two offices officially combined on Dec. 2. Bergfeld is expected to remain with the team for the immediate future as she plans for retirement, Hellert said, and most of the original Key West clinic staff have also stayed.
“Things have been going as smoothly as they possibly could have (since the acquisition),” Hellert said. “Together, we’re two times what we were before.”
PetMed previously operated out of a leased space at 2400 Gateway Drive. By buying the Flint Hill Drive building, Hellert said the clinic’s square footage has more than doubled from the former location.
The extra space and the combination of the two teams will allow the clinic to expand its capacity by about 25% from what the two were doing separately, and Hellert said the plan is to eventually renovate the building to allow for even more growth.
Hellert said that expansion will remain on the horizon, however, until staff and clients have had time to acclimate to the merger and make full use of the current space.
“We want to be one big family at PetMed of Key West,” she said. “We love our clients and our patients, and we treat them the absolute best we can. Hopefully, everyone can bear with us as we work through this transition and begin to move forward together.”
For more information on PetMed of Key West Veterinary Clinic, visit dbqpetmed.com or call 563-583-8387. The clinic is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon on the first and third Saturday of each month.