Nestlé Purina PetCare, a leading global petfood manufacturer, has announced a CHF 520 million investment in a new integrated pet food manufacturing plant and logistics hub in Mantova, Italy. It marks one of the company’s largest recent investments in its European production network.
The new site is expected to begin operations in 2029 to manufacture super-premium wet pet food for both cats and dogs.
The plant is designed to serve both its pet care business and other Nestlé brands, to increase manufacturing capacity, strengthen the supply chain, and improve transport efficiency to meet demand for premium pet food, which continues to grow across Europe.
The investment will increase the total number of Purina production sites in Europe to 15 and will serve a total population of around 111 million cats and 91 million dogs across Europe. PetCare now accounts for 29% of Nestlé sales in Zone Europe and it continues to deliver organic growth. Nestlé Purina also operates pet food factories in 19 countries.
According to Nestlé, the investment reflects continued growth in the European pet care market, where demand for high-quality pet food has increased steadily. The new facility reinforces its long-term commitment to the pet care category, one of Nestlé’s strategic growth businesses.
The Mantova project also builds on plans first announced in 2024 to establish a wet pet food production facility in the region. Since then, the project has progressed with regulatory support, including approval by the European Commission in 2025 for €60 million in Italian state aid to support construction of the plant and its production line.
Once operational, the Mantova facility will become an important addition to Purina’s European manufacturing footprint, which already includes production sites across France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. The investment follows other recent capacity expansions by the company, including new wet pet food production in Brazil and manufacturing investments in Mexico
“Petcare is one of Nestlé’s four focus businesses, and this investment is a clear signal of our continued growth ambition for the category,” said Rafael Lopez, CEO of Nestlé Purina PetCare Europe. He added that super-premium wet food is particularly attractive nowadays. It offers a variety of textures and sensory experiences combined with great nutrition for dogs and cats. Everything that pet parents are looking for as they welcome pets into their families.
Marco Travaglia, President and CEO of Nestlé Italy, highlights that the new Purina plant for wet pet food and the distribution platform strengthen their presence in Italy and at the heart of European transport corridors, enabling them to serve customers better and faster.
