In another sign of increasing demand for pet food, Mars Petcare has announced plans to expand its manufacturing plant in Fort Smith, Ark., for the fifth time in 14 years.
The plant, which makes products sold under Cesar, Sheba, Nutro, Iams and other brands, will undergo a two-phase, $117 million expansion, Mars Petcare announced on Sept. 22. The project will add two production lines and a warehouse and update existing equipment, with 140 new jobs.
The expansion plan comes on top of one announced earlier this year, which will add more than 200,000 sq. ft. and two production lines, at a cost of $145 million. The Fort Smith plant had been expanded three times before that since its opening in 2007.
Mars Petcare noted in its statement that since the beginning of the pandemic, 23 million households have adopted new pets, and demand for wet pet food has gone up almost 18% over last year.
"The role of pets in our lives has grown even stronger during the pandemic, and our latest investment in Fort Smith enables us to deepen our commitment to our associates and the city of Fort Smith while also living our purpose: A better world for pets," Ikdeep Singh, regional president of Mars Pet Nutrition North America, said in a statement.
