Nestlé Purina announces $195 million expansion at Wisconsin facility

Adapted from a press release.

Nestlé Purina PetCare is expanding its production facility in Jefferson, Wisconsin. The US$195 million project will increase production of wet pet food brands in Jefferson by nearly 50%, including Pro Plan, Fancy Feast and Beneful IncrediBites, and add 35,000 square feet to the facility.

Purina’s US$195 million project is expected to bring an additional 100 jobs to the community it has called home since 1910. Purina has operated in Jefferson for nearly 115 years and today employs more than 250 local associates.

”Investing in our Jefferson factory deepens our roots in the community while helping us provide pet owners across the northern part of the United States with the trusted, science-based pet foods their dogs and cats love,” said Nolan Terry, Purina’s chief technical officer. “We remain focused on safety, quality and sustainability in our operations and appreciate the state and local partners who have supported our continued growth.”

The $195 million project is expected to add 35,000 square feet to the facility.Nestlé Purina PetCareExpansion part of a larger growth strategy

The expansion is part of a larger growth strategy for the pet care company, which recently celebrated the grand opening of a new dry pet food facility in Eden, North Carolina and completed expansion to its King William, Virginia litter factory. The Eden facility will produce a variety of Purina's pet food brands, including Purina Pro Plan, Purina ONE, Dog Chow, Puppy Chow, and more, the company told Petfood Industry.

The new 1.3-million-square-foot Purina facility in Eden – which repurposes 80% of a former brewery's existing structure – features several modern technologies which transform and enhance the overall production process, including the first-ever vertical dryer installed in a Purina U.S. factory as well as automated systems in warehousing and the freezer space. 

Between 2020 and 2025, Nestlé is on track to invest $2 billion in Purina's factory and capital expansion projects to enhance its pet food manufacturing footprint. The company's 24th factory is currently under construction in Williamsburg Township, Ohio, and is expected to be fully operational in the next 12 months. 

The new Williamsburg Township facility is a US$550 million, 1.3 million-square-foot operation -- the first project Purina has constructed from the ground up since 1975. The facility will be equipped with the latest innovation, including an automated warehousing system, to make production and logistics as streamlined and efficient as possible, said the company.

Local support from WEDC, governor

The city of Jefferson has created a tax incremental financing (TIF) district providing up to $2 million in assistance to the company for project costs over a 20-year period.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is supporting the project by authorizing up to US$1.7 million in performance-based business development tax credits over the next five years. The actual amount of tax credits Purina will receive is contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment during that period.

“We are thrilled that Nestlé Purina is moving forward with expanding its Jefferson facility and that we could be a partner in helping support this effort, which will bring roughly 100 new jobs to the community,” said Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. “Nestlé Purina has a more than 100-year history in our state, and we are excited to celebrate this world-class brand’s commitment to seeing many more years of continued success and local economic development in Wisconsin.”

According to Petfood Industry's Top Petfood Companies, Nestlé Purina PetCare remains a top player in the global pet care industry. Long a leader in the U.S. market, the company also operates pet food factories in 19 countries. Nestlé Purina claims three headquarters globally: St. Louis, Missouri, USA, for its North American and Latin American operations; Lausanne, Switzerland, in Europe; and Sydney, Australia, covering Asia, Oceania and Africa. Its parent company, Nestlé's world headquarters, is in Vevey, Switzerland.