Smucker to Invest $52.6 Million to Upgrade Buffalo, New York, Milk-Bone Facility
The J.M. Smucker Co. will invest $52.6 million to upgrade its Buffalo, N.Y., Milk-Bone dog treats plant in response to increased sales of its Soft ’N Chewy products, according to a local news report.
The Milk-Bone and Meow Mix pet brands were the two primary brands Smucker retained after selling several pet food brands, its private-label pet food business and three processing facilities to Post Holdings in April 2023 in a $1.2 billion deal.
Buffalo reportedly was selected for this investment over other plants in Topeka, Kan., and Decatur, Ala. The capital will mostly fund new processing equipment in the 550,000-sq.-ft. facility — with the plant’s refrigeration section getting $10.2 million of improvements. Renovations are expected to begin in May, with the project anticipated to be done by April 2027.
The improvements should allow the company to add at least 17 new jobs to the current roster of 280 people currently employed there. The Buffalo facility dates back to 1900, and it has been a dog treat processing facility since 1925, owned by National Biscuit Co. at that time, the news outlet reported.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.