European pet food producers and ingredient suppliers are investing in new plant expansions and announcing sales milestones.
Josera to launch new Polish pet food plant in 2025
German pet food maker Josera, a brand owned by Erbacher the food family, is advancing its investment to open a new plant in Paproć, in Poland’s western region of Wielkopolska. The factory, which will manufacture dry pet food, is expected to be launched in 2025, local news site Pnt.info.pl reported.
Polish construction company PTB Nickel Ltd is carrying out the construction work on the project, estimated to be worth about PLN 278 million ($64.2 million). Once it is completed, the project will expand the company’s existing pet food production capacities. The manufacturing hub in Paproć is located about 125 kilometers from Poland’s border with Germany.
Josera’s product range comprises wet and dry pet food for dogs and cats, pet treats and accessories, among others. The company says export sales represent the majority of its revenues. The firm sells its pet food output under the brands of Josera, Josidog and Josicat.
Erbacher says it has a presence in about 70 countries across the world. Its facilities in Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Tanzania employ a workforce of more than 800 employees.
UK vegan pet food maker boosts sales, passes meals served threshold
U.K. vegan pet food business Omni has announced the company’s sales have grown by more than 60% since its latest funding round in January 2023. This has enabled the business to pass the threshold of serving more than 1 million wholesome vegan meals to dogs across the U.K. since the company was founded, according to representatives.
In a statement, Guy Sandelowsky, a co-founder of Omni, said the firm is now headed toward profitability within the next six months. “Having only been selling products on the market for just over a year, this is a remarkably fast route to profitability while maintaining fast growth momentum,” he said. Omni has also managed to double its customer retention rate as more customers are staying on the Omni diet for longer to see the visible health benefits in their dogs, he said
Omni was jointly founded by two entrepreneurs with different professional backgrounds. Sandelowsky is a veterinary surgeon, while Shiv Sivakumar is a former investment banker. They teamed up to launch the brand, working on Omni’s pet food in close cooperation with the U.K.’s Nottingham Vet School and a group of experts in the field of veterinary nutrition. Some of these experts worked with FEDIAF, the umbrella organization for European pet food associations, Omni said.
The company makes its wet food in the Netherlands and Poland, and is focusing on expanding its sales across Europe, focusing on Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy and Switzerland, according to Omni data.
Symrise expands pet food palatants production capacity in Brazil
German group Symrise has opened a new pet food palatants factory in Chapéco, Brazil. The production facility will manufacture palatants for cat and dog food, the company said in a statement.
Fitted with a total surface of more than 10,000 square meters (107,639 sq. ft), the plant is the largest facility of this type in Latin America and represents Symrise’s biggest site for pet food ingredients across the world, according to the manufacturer.
“It features advanced technologies with full automation delivering high operational efficiency,” Symrise said. “Lastly, it follows the company’s strict food safety and environmental standards applied on all its sites.”
As part of its investment in the Brazilian market, the company has created more than 50 new jobs for local employees in Chapéco, according to the statement. The new factory makes both liquid and powder palatants for the domestic and foreign markets. The value of the manufacturing project was not disclosed.
“This expansion allows the company to triple its production capacity for pet food palatants in Brazil, preparing for the increasing demand in Brazil and other Latin American markets,” according to Symrise.
