Nestlé Purina PetCare will hold its official opening of the pet care company’s newest pet food factory in Eden, North Carolina.
Three years in the making, the $450 million operation has already created more than 300 new positions, with plans to add more staff in the future, the company said. Between 2020 and 2025, Nestlé is on track to invest $2 billion in Purina factory expansion and capital projects to enhance its manufacturing footprint. The company’s 24th factory is currently under construction in Williamsburg Township, Ohio, and is expected to be fully operational within the next 12 months.
“Demand for our products continues to grow and the opening of this new facility – our first manufacturing operation in North Carolina – allows us to better serve our customers, especially in the east and southeastern part of the country,” said Purina CEO Nina Leigh Krueger.
“Our new factory in Eden is a big step to continue to meet that growing demand, and is the latest example of the continued investment being made in our US manufacturing network. We are grateful for the support and partnership across the region, and we are confident I’m building a facility, and a passionate team, that will represent this community with pride for generations to come.”
Purina’s Eden, North Carolina, facility features several modern technologies that transform and improve the overall production process.Nestlé Purina PetCare
‘Factory of the future’
The new 1.3-million-square-foot Purina facility in Eden – which reuses 80% of the former brewery’s existing structure – features several modern technologies that transform and improve the overall production process, including the first-ever vertical dryer installed in a Purina US factory as well as automated systems in warehousing and the freezer space. The new facility also features a first-of-its-kind Manufacturing Experience Center, designed to introduce modern manufacturing to the next generation of the workforce.
“We have been looking forward to this day for a long time and we are very grateful for the contributions of so many incredible associates who are working to bring this factory to life” said Will Steiner, factory manager of the new Purina factory in Eden. “So many amazing collaborations have gone into this project, but the most exciting thing is that we can now really work together and produce more of our pet food brands that pet owners love and trust. We have a great team in place to bring quality and safety standards to Eden.”
Located on 1,350 acres straddling the Virginia state line, the new Purina factory in Eden marks Purina’s 23rd manufacturing operation in the US Eden will operate as a zero waste to disposal facility. Across its manufacturing network, Purina is working to conserve water and achieve 100% renewable electricity in its factories by 2025.
State officials, community partners and leaders of Nestlé Purina PetCare gathered to commemorate the official opening of the pet company’s newest pet food factory in Eden, North Carolina.Nestlé Purina PetCare
The company continues to support the community
The grand opening event highlighted donations from Purina to local organizations made through its Trust Fund, which was established by company founder William H. Danforth and supports partners working to positively impact communities if where Purina has operations.
Purina made a $30,000 donation to expand industrial and applied technology programs at Rockingham Community College. Funds support the opening of a new Center for Workforce Development building, equipping the community’s current and future workforce with training opportunities to better support high-technology job opportunities. The 3D printing room inside the new structure will also be named in honor of Nestlé Purina. The check was presented to Mark Kinlaw, President of Rockingham Community College.
Purina’s $10,000 donation to the Dan River Basin Association supports the organization’s ‘Tails on Trails’ initiative, designed to encourage pets and people to explore nature together. The program will host bi-monthly guided hikes designed with pets in mind and provide printed maps of dog-friendly trails around Rockingham County; as well as an online map featuring dog-friendly trails throughout the 16-county Dan River Basin. The check was presented to Tiffany Haworth, Executive Director of the Dan River Basin Association.
Purina also recently made a donation to help renovate and reopen the Purina Bark Park inside Freedom Park in Eden; help fund the installation of an electronic kiosk at Rockingham County Veterans Park; and supported Help, Incorporated and the opening of a new facility, the SquareOne Family Justice Center, which provides crisis care to victims of abuse in a centralized location. The local team regularly supports the Rockingham County Animal Shelter and Friends of Eden Animal Rescue with donated produce, and also helps feed the K9 officers of the Eden Police Force.
By 2023, Purina has invested more than $30 million to support programs that aim to bring and keep pets and people together and build partnerships that help communities and environments thrive.
Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina was on hand and acknowledged the significant investment and commitment from all parties to make the facility a reality.
“We continue to believe that the brewery in Eden could be used for a new manufacturer and we are excited that with this grand opening Nestlé Purina is ready to make a new home in North Carolina with 300 new employees,” said Governor Cooper. “They will find here a well-trained, committed and diverse workforce along with support for their efforts to embrace this new plant of renewable energy and sustainability.”
According to Petfood Industry Leading Petfood Companies, Nestlé Purina PetCare remains a leading player in the global pet care industry. Long the leader in the US market, the company also operates pet food factories in 19 countries. Nestlé Purina claims three headquarters worldwide: St. Louis, Missouri, USA, for its North American and Latin American operations; Lausanne, Switzerland, in Europe; and Sydney, Australia, covering Asia, Oceania and Africa. Its parent company, Nestlé’s world headquarters, is in Vevey, Switzerland.
North Carolina State Senator Phil Berger and his dog, Obi, addressed the crowd at the grand opening of the new Purina pet food factory in Eden, North Carolina.Nestlé Purina PetCare
