The United States Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded a US$1.5 million grant to the city of Eden, North Carolina, USA to boost capacity for business growth by renovating the Eden sewer treatment facility.
Adapted from a press release:
The United States Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded a US$1.5 million grant to the city of Eden, North Carolina, USA to renovate the town’s sewer treatment facility, which will benefit pet food production in the area. This grant will provide reliable water service necessary for a Nestlé Purina PetCare to expand operations while enabling other businesses to locate in the region. The EDA investment will be matched with US$7.6 million in local funds. Together the investments are expected to create 180 jobs and generate US$270 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration
The mission of the EDA is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
About Purina PetCare’s plant in North Carolina
In 2020, Nestlé Purina PetCare announced an estimated US$450 million investment to open a pet food production factory in Eden, North Carolina. The factory was built near the Virginia border using a former brewery. The facility was planned to produce dry dog and cat food brands, including Purina Pro Plan, Purina ONE and Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets.
Purina's facility was designed with sustainability in mind, including a commitment to send zero waste for disposal, and production processes designed to recover and reuse heat and water. Purina also strove to make the facility 100% powered by renewable electricity in the shortest practical timeframe, while supporting the company's ambition for zero environmental impact in company operations by 2030.
Key Facts about Nestlé Purina facility in Eden, North Carolina:
Total investment in this facility: an estimated $450 million Total investment across the U.S. in the last 5 years: $1.5 billion Total square footage of Eden facility: 1.3 million Expected number of employees: more than 300 by 2024
Tim Wall covers the dog, cat and other pet food industries as a senior reporter for WATT Global Media. His work has appeared inScientific American, Live Science, Discovery News, Honduras Weekly, Global Journalist and other outlets. He holds an M.A. in journalism and an M.S. in natural resources, both
from the University of Missouri - Columbia, along with a bachelor's degree in biology.
Wall served in the Peace Corps in Honduras from 2005 to 2007, where he coordinated with the town government of Moroceli to organize a municipal trash collection system, taught environmental science, translated for medical brigades and facilitated sustainable agriculture, along with other projects.
A new year brings new opportunities and excitement, and 2023 is bound to be the same, with several chances for advancing policy issues of importance to the U.S. animal food industry.
