Nestle Purina North America celebrated the completion of a $156 million expansion at the company’s local factory in Clinton, Iowa, which produces some of the company’s most popular pet food and treat brands.
Purina leaders and community representatives gathered in Clinton, Iowa, on Oct. 5th to celebrate the completion of a $156 million expansion at the company’s local factory. The project expands capacity and production capabilities for Purina’s high-quality pet care brands and adds a technical training center.
Purina’s Clinton factory produces some of the company’s most popular pet food and treat brands, and is a hub for innovative new products. The pet food production expansion includes new cooking and packaging lines that will be used to make a variety of pet food brands, including Purina ONE, Purina Pro Plan and Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets. This expansion results from growing demand from pet owners for its nutritious, science-based dog and cat foods using high-quality and trusted ingredients.
The expansion results in 96 new positions at the factory, which now employs approximately 570 people.
Purina also purchased a building adjacent to the factory that has been retrofitted for the packaging and storage of two unique Purina brands, with room to grow:
- Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements, including Calming Care and FortiFlora, the No. 11 probiotic brands recommended by veterinarians that contain beneficial strains of bacteria that promote calm behavior and support digestive health, respectively. The science behind these therapeutic products represents a collaboration between Purina nutritionists, researchers and veterinarians.
- Just Right, Purina’s first personalized dog food brand. Through a subscription-based e-commerce model, Just Right is created using information provided by dog owners, balanced by Purina’s nutritional experts and hand scooped and measured with personalized feeding instructions for each unique dog. All blends are 100 percent complete and balanced, prepared and packaged exclusively in Clinton.
“The pet care industry is dynamic and thriving, and Purina’s role as the category leader is one that we take seriously,” said Andrea Faccio, Chief Growth Officer at Purina. “The ongoing investment in our business, including this expansion in Clinton, sets us up for continued growth in the future and helps us meet increasing demand from pet owners who have placed their trust in Purina to deliver nutritious and high-quality dog and cat foods.”
NEW 3,800-SQUARE-FOOT TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTER
In addition to investing in the growth of Purina’s brands, Purina is also investing in the future of its employees. The new 3,800-square-foot technical training center in Clinton supports Purina’s investment in digital tools and technology to enhance collaboration and innovation in manufacturing. The Technical Training Center will be the hub for employee onboarding and incorporate both structured and self-driven training with digital tools and replicas of production equipment for employees to practice on, setting new pet food operators and technicians up for success on day one.
Purina employs approximately 1,370 people across Iowa. In addition to the factory in Clinton, Purina has operations in Fort Dodge and Davenport. Nestlé Purina strives to make a positive impact in every community in which it operates. In Clinton, the factory partnered with several local organizations on the expansion, including Eastern Iowa Community College-Clinton, Grow Clinton, Iowa Economic Development and the City of Clinton.
