Round-up: Producers scale up production capabilities to meet rising pet food demand

With rising pet populations in many parts of the world and consumer demand for quality pet food options, manufacturers are building on their successes, literally.

Mars

Mars is furthering its long-term investment strategy in the United States by opening a $450 million (€395.6M) Royal Canin manufacturing facility in Lewisburg, Ohio.

The 450,000-square-foot plant will produce Royal Canin dry pet food products. The new facility is part of Mars’ ongoing $6 billion (€5.3B), 5-year U.S. manufacturing investment plan.

Additionally, the plant will create up to 270 new full-time jobs over the next 5 years, reinforcing the company’s commitment to local manufacturing and meeting the growing demand for high-quality pet food.

The facility is also set to pursue LEED Silver certification, demonstrating Mars’s dedication to sustainable practices in its operations.

Josera

German pet food manufacturer Josera, is making significant progress on the construction of its new manufacturing facility in the Polish city Nowy Tomyśl, 370 from Warsaw. The site is on track for commissioning, and several key milestones have been reached.

The Kleinheubach-based has trained 10 new employees, working closely with both the production and research and development teams in their headquarters to prepare them for their roles in the new facility.

The plant has successfully integrated state-of-the-art packaging technology, improving both efficiency and product quality. Additionally, sustainability features such as a small forest, insect hotels, bicycle shelters and upcoming electric vehicle charging stations are being implemented.

Enhanced safety measures, including protective rooms and disinfection sluices, have been introduced. Modern offices and ergonomic furniture further contribute to this new work environment.

MiAlgae

In the UK, Scottish biotech firm MiAlgae is approaching its tenth anniversary with a major investment in production capability. The company is planning a new facility in Grangemouth, 43 km from Edinburgh, which will repurpose whisky industry by-products into a cost-effective alternative to fish-derived omega-3s.

The ingredient is in demand from the pet food and aquaculture industries, and the proposed operation, which is subject to approval by authorities, will be able to grow as required through modular design.

According to Founder and CEO Douglas Martin, the location has “incredible potential” for the company as it looks to the next stage of its growth.

“This location offers an ideal position to support our scaling efforts and meet the increasing demand for our ‘biotech for good’ solutions, with the creation of green jobs across engineering, production and research and development,” he says.

The jobs will initially total around 100, and career change opportunities will be offered to workers displaced from the region’s oil and gas industry.

However, the firm is not only looking at expansion in its homeland. GlobalPETS recently reported on potential expansion to the U.S. and Australia.

ADM

Illinois-based multinational ingredient producer ADM has opened a new wet pet food facility in Mexico for its Ganador and Minino brands.

With 3 production lines and an investment of $39 million (€34M), the new operation in Yecapixtla, 96 km south of Mexico City, is the firm’s first in Mexico exclusively for wet food for cats and dogs.

ADM also has facilities in Guadalajara and a distribution center in Mexico.

The Fatory

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, The Fatory, a significant producer of private-label pet supplement products, plans to upgrade its production facilities. The liquid bottling line at the existing Bodegraven plant will scale up production using highly efficient automation processes.

The firm supplies omega oil products to a growing number of partners across the pet nutrition sector in Europe and beyond, and the upgraded production line will streamline processes and accelerate turnaround times.

“This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to quality, innovation, and operational excellence,” explains Björn de Bruijn, Managing Director of The Fatory, which is part of Bioriginal Food & Science Corp. “With this new bottling line, we’re able to improve our efficiency while continuing to meet the needs of our partners while ensuring that we deliver the high-quality products that pets and their owners depend on every day.”