An eastern Australia pet food plant that makes dry kibble for cats and dogs has expanded into wet food with a $56.5 million upgrade under owner Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. The expanded facility, which opened today in Blayney—150 miles west of Sydney—includes new equipment, a 58,000-square-foot warehouse, and an improved research and development center. The 25-year-old factory produces dry food such as Supercoat, Beneful, Lucky Dog, Pro Plan and Friskies for domestic and export markets. The new facility will add wet food for sale in pouches throughout Australia, Japan, China and other countries. The plant has undergone $87 million worth of improvements since 2011 to turn it into a state-of-the-art facility employing 300 people, the company reported. “This technology has the capability and flexibility to create demand for a premium product, with the taste profile pets prefer [and] with the simplicity of packaging and serving their owners prefer,” Nestlé Purina PetCare President Rafael Lopez said. The upgraded plant’s annual production is estimated at more than 100,000 tons. More than 80 percent of the raw materials, including meat, grains and packaging, come from Australia, the company added.
