France's Le Gouessant has announced plans to build a new factory in Sèvremoine, in the western department of Maine-et-Loire. The €16.6 million (US$19.7 million) investment will support production of a new line of SoftChew treats for dogs and cats, among other products.
"After two years of design, the construction phase will last 18 months, with commissioning [of the new manufacturing facility] scheduled for August 2027. The site covers 21,650 square meters [or 233,038 square feet] and the new plant will occupy 4,900 square meters," Le Gouessant said in a statement.
The new factory will replace the group's two existing production units, whose capacities are no longer sufficient to meet growing demand.
"This new factory, which will bring together the two existing Synergie Prod sites, marks a decisive step for Le Gouessant," the company continued. "It will give us the momentum needed to keep pace with market growth, accelerate our innovations, and provide an ever more high-performance working environment."
Rémi Cristoforetti, CEO of Le Gouessant, said the project "fully illustrates Le Gouessant Group's vision: to build an innovative, high-performing and internationally focused animal supply chain."
Le Gouessant, which acquired Synergie Prod in 2008, describes itself as an agricultural cooperative comprising close to 4,400 member farmers and around 900 employees. The group reported revenues of approximately €777 million (US$921.5 million) in 2024. Its operations include a dedicated aquaculture division, as well as a wide range of pet food and livestock animal nutrition products. The cooperative was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Lamballe-Armor, in France's northwestern Brittany region.
Ukrainian group secures international funds for growth
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Yednist' Group has secured international financial backing for plans to expand pet food distribution and feed manufacturing, with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development joining forces with Ukrsibbank BNP Paribas Group.
"Under a risk-sharing agreement between the two institutions, the EBRD will cover up to 60% (US$10.2 million) of the risk on Ukrsibbank's US$17 million loan to Yednist' Group," the EBRD said in a statement. "The financing will help the agri leader maintain production of compound feed and premixes, as well as pet food and veterinary distribution, and expand domestic and export sales during a period of heightened economic uncertainty."
Ranked among Ukraine's leading producers of animal compound feed and premixes, Yednist' Group "also provides integrated feeding and veterinary solutions and distributes imported pet food and veterinary products. In 2025, Yednist' Group successfully implemented an investment project focused on grain processing into flour and cereals at the facilities of the new Yednist' Food grain processing complex," according to the EBRD statement.
The EBRD has backed several other investments in Ukraine's pet food sector in recent years. In 2024, Kormotech — a family-owned global company with Ukrainian origins and a top-50 global pet food producer — obtained €40 million ($47.4 million) in EBRD funding to invest in its wet pet food production facility in Kėdainiai, Lithuania. That project, valued at €63 million (US$74.7 million), includes four new production lines, with full completion expected by 2028. The investment is designed to help Kormotech reach €500 million (US$592.5 million) in revenue by 2029.
The EBRD is headquartered in London and is owned by 77 governments along with the European Union and the European Investment Bank.
