Nestlé Purina Announces $195 Million Expansion to Jefferson, Wisconsin, Plant
Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. has announced it is expanding its Jefferson, Wis., production facility, investing $195 million in a project expected to add 100 jobs to the area.
The state of Wisconsin has authorized up to $1.7 million in performance-based business development tax credits over the next five years in support of the project, contingent upon the actual number of jobs created and capital invested. The city of Jefferson also has chipped in its support, creating a tax incremental financing (TIF) district providing up to $2 million in assistance to the company for project costs over a 20-year period.
Purina has operated in Jefferson since 1910, and this expansion will increase wet pet food production by nearly 50%, according to the company’s release. Production of pet food brands such as Pro Plan, Fancy Feast and Beneful IncrediBites will benefit from the 35,000 additional square feet of space once the addition is completed. Currently, the facility employs more than 250 people.
Nolan Terry, chief technical officer for Purina, noted that the expansion would help the company provide dog and cat owners across the northern part of the United States with Purina brands’ products. This project is the latest in a larger growth strategy the company has undertaken. Purina recently celebrated the grand opening of a dry pet food plant in Eden, N.C., and Nestlé is on track to invest $2 billion in Purina factory and capital expansion projects between 2020 and the end of next year (2025).
