The Nestlé Purina PetCare (Purina) plant in Williamsburg Township, Ohio, was evacuated Monday, November 11, after a note with a bomb threat was found by an employee on site.
According to the Clermont County sheriff's office, a call came in from an employee at the Purina plant stating a note had been discovered on the premises indicating there was a "bomb inside" along with the date.
In response, the sheriff's office and Williamsburg Township fire department evacuated the plant to conduct a thorough search. Special K9 units trained in detecting explosive devices were also called in from nearby agencies. The inside of the plant and entire perimeter were searched; no items or devices were located.
County detectives determined the threatening message was found inside a portable toilet on the property, hidden from the facility's surveillance cameras. According to a statement from Purina to Petfood Industry, management immediately told employees to leave for the day. At the time of the evacuation, nearly 900 employees were on site.
"A bomb threat was received yesterday morning at our Batavia construction site," said the statement. "In alignment with our emergency protocols, the site was quickly evacuated while local authorities investigated the threat. The Clermont County Sheriff’s Department swept the site and found no threat. Out of an abundance of caution, the site remained closed [Monday] but has resumed operations without incident [Tuesday]."
The US$550 million, 1.3 million-square-foot Williamsburg Township facility is the first project Purina has constructed from the ground up since 1975. Announced in 2020, the new facility is expected to produce dry dog and cat food brands, including Purina Pro Plan, Purina ONE and Dog Chow. According to Purina, the facility is equipped with the best innovation, including an automated warehousing system, to make production and logistics as streamlined and efficient as possible. Purina expects the facility to be fully operational by spring 2025.
"The health and safety of our employees are our highest priority, and we take any threats of violence seriously," said the statement from Purina. "We appreciate the support of local authorities and will fully cooperate with their ongoing investigation to find the source of the threat."
There are no leads regarding the source of the threat. Detectives continue to investigate. Purina encourages anyone with information about this threat to call the sheriff's office at 513-732-7510 or the investigative unit at 513-732-7545.
According to Petfood Industry's Top Pet Food Companies, Nestlé Purina PetCare is a top player in the global pet care industry. In addition to the U.S. market, the company operates pet food factories in 19 countries. Nestlé Purina claims three headquarters globally: St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., 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.
