Purina executives and community representatives gathered Oct. 5 to celebrate the completion of a $156 million expansion at the factory in Clinton, Iowa.
The project expands capacity and production capabilities for Purina’s pet care brands and adds a technical training center. The expansion resulted in 96 new positions at the factory, which now employs about 570 people.
The pet food production expansion includes 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 trusted ingredients.
The company also purchased a building adjacent to the factory that has been retrofitted for the packaging and storage of two Purina brands, with room to grow:
- Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements, including Calming Care and FortiFlora. The science behind these therapeutic products represents a collaboration between nutritionists, researchers and veterinarians.
- Just Right, Purina’s 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 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.
“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.”
The new 3,800-square-foot technical training center in Clinton supports the company’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 structured and self-driven training with digital tools and replicas of production equipment for employees to practice on.
Purina employs about 1,370 people across Iowa. In addition to the factory in Clinton, it has operations in Fort Dodge and Davenport. The Clinton 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.
For more information, visit purina.com.
