Nestlé Purina PetCare has announced that its new petfood factory in Batavia, Ohio will officially open this August. The event will bring together company representatives, local and state officials, community partners and employees to mark the facility’s transition to full production.
The Batavia site represents a US$550 million investment and is the company’s first newly constructed factory in the United States since 1975. According to Purina, the facility forms part of its continued investment in domestic manufacturing and employment.
Mike Ferritto, factory manager at the Batavia site, stated that the facility combines advanced manufacturing systems with the region’s workforce and manufacturing expertise.
The factory is currently producing dry cat and dog food products from brands including Purina Pro Plan, Purina ONE and Dog Chow. The site presently employs more than 340 people, with staffing expected to increase to over 500 positions once the operation is fully operational.
The facility is located within the wider Cincinnati food manufacturing region, which includes more than 300 food and flavouring companies.
Nina Leigh Krueger, CEO and president of Purina, stated that the Batavia factory will support the company’s supply chain operations and long-term production capacity for pet food products across the United States.
The new site will become Purina’s 24th manufacturing facility in the US. The company also stated that it has contributed more than US$346,000 to organisations in Clermont County through the Purina Foundation, including support for emergency services, law enforcement and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre.