French pet food maker Pepette is finalizing construction work on a new plant in the country’s region of Centre-Val de Loire, and recently added new products to its portfolio, according to a senior company representative.
Marine Thersiquel, founder and chief executive of Pepette, told Petfoodindustry.com the facility is fitted with a total surface of 1,500 square meters (16,150 square feet).
“We are to launch in early March,” she said. “We have also expanded our offer of snacks for dogs with three additional products.”
In 2022, Pepette collected some €6 million (US$6.5 million) from a group of investors to build its new plant. The project allowed the French business to boost its production activities and pursue international expansion plans.
At the time, Thersiquel said that “France is the second largest European market with regards to the number of dogs and cats, at 21 million. There is a major potential for expansion here that we want to explore.
“In the mid-term, we intend to expand to other European countries," she continued. "This concerns a number of markets, such as Germany as well as southern European countries such as Italy and Spain."
Set up in June 2019, Pepette aims to deliver a healthy and fresh alternative source of pet food to cats and dogs. The business makes pet food tailored to the needs of particular pets and supplied directly to their owners, as indicated by Pepette’s founder.
Argentinian pet food maker to launch new plant
Argentine’s Vitalcan is building a new pet food factory in Río Grande in the country’s southern region of Tierra del Fuego, through an investment worth about US$9 million.
In the first phase of the manufacturing project, the Argentinian company plans to create some 45 new jobs. Once the plant launches production activities at the end of 2024, a total of 300 jobs will be created at the facility, local daily Privincia 23 reported.
“We are the only company in the sector with our own research in Argentina," said Maximiliano Sobotowicz, director of new business and marketing at Vitalcan. "This research guarantees the quality of all Vitalcan products."
The pet food producer currently employs a workforce of more than 250 people. Owing to the ongoing investment in Río Grande, Vitalcan hopes to become a dominant player in the Argentinian market, according to its representative.
“The key is to create added value by combining three axes: passion, scientific research and industrial and sustainable development,” said Sobotowicz.
Vitalcan’s product portfolio includes a wide range of wet and dry pet food products for cats and dogs. In addition to Argentina, the company says it sells its products in Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru and Ecuador.
Moldovan pet food business expands sales to Romania
Moldova’s pet food producer Terafix is launching sales in neighboring Romania, benefiting from its rising production capacities.
With this development, Terafix will gain access to a European Union market of some 19.1 million consumers, compared with Moldova’s population of around 2.6 million. The latest move comes 10 years after the business launched manufacturing activities at its plant in Străseni, in the country’s central part, local news site Stiri.md reported.
The Moldovan company says it specializes in making natural pet food from poultry feathers and animal byproducts.
“Our dog food is a natural, high-protein product that contains no preservatives or additives and provides good value for the customer,” said Terafix.
