Nestle recently revealed in a press release dated April 8 a US$90 million upgrade to its Blayney factory, in Australia, to expand its Petcare petfood production.
Due to the last two years of the pandemic overseeing an increase in pet adoption and consequently, greater demand for petfood, the factory is designed to meet growing demand for wet cat food in the Australian market, thanks to the newly installed manufacturing technology.
With the upgrade of the factory comes the creation of 20 new jobs on site, to create Nestle’s range of cat food favourites which include Felix, Fancy Feast, Pro Plan and Purina One.
“We are proud to produce quality Purina petfood for our much-loved furry friends across Australia and around the region, right here in Blayney,” says Nestle Blayney Factory Manager Charlene De Wit, in a comment on Nestle’s support for the local community.
“Our expanded facilities will allow us to scale up production of single serve wet cat food by over 120 percent – as well as the dry cat and dog food we already produce.”
The upgrade brings Nestle’s total investment in the factory to more than US$200 million in the past 10 years as the business has increased its production and expanded its capabilities. The wet cat food facility in particular, which was opened in late 2014, was designed to create premium products with a preferred taste profile for cats.
Nestle are a key regional supplier, exporting both wet and dry petfood from Blayney to New Zealand, Thailand and Japan, with a significant number of local ingredients used in production. More than 85 percent of raw materials – meats and grains – used at the factory will be locally sourced.
“We have an incredibly dedicated and highly skilled team here at Blayney,” adds Ms De Wit. “By bringing leading technology to our factory and continuing to use high quality ingredients in our product, we are even more confident that we will continue to enrich the lives of pets and people who love them for years to come.”
The factory’s history sees the beginning of its operations in 1989 to today, employing more than 300 people and supporting more than 60 local businesses in New South Wales.
For more information, visit Nestle’s website, HERE.
