Just in time for the fall season, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a division of Colgate-Palmolive, officially opened the doors to its newest manufacturing plant in Tonganoxie, Kan. canned pet food.
Noel Wallace, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Colgate-Palmolive Co.; John Hazlin, president and CEO of Hill’s Pet Nutrition; Chad Sharp, director of manufacturing for Hill’s Tonganoxie plant; and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly all addressed the group of attendees representing local and state government, academia and industry at the official groundbreaking.
“Hill’s is an important part of the Colgate-Palmolive company and our investment in this impressive new plant represents our commitment to Kansas, the growth of our business and the advancement of our mission,” Wallace said at the plant’s opening. . “By investing in this plant, we are investing in growth. The sophistication and precision of the Tonganoxie plant will enable greater innovation in our product formulations.”
Hill broke ground on the new greenfield facility, located on more than 80 acres of land, in 2021. The plant — one of three Hill manufacturing locations in Kansas — began operations in September. 22.
“For 75 years, Hill’s and our people have been working to change the lives of pets through science-led nutrition,” Hazlin told those in attendance at the grand opening. “Since creating our first diet, Hill’s has grown to become a global leader in science-led pet nutrition, with products available in 86 countries worldwide.”
The plant continues to expand Hill’s Science Diet and Prescription Diet brands. (Source: Sosland Publishing Co./Kimberlie Clyma)It’s good to go to the greenfield
Hill’s new Tonganoxie plant, which will produce more than 170 varieties of wet pet food, will continue to expand Hill’s Science Diet and Prescription Diet brands. The facility features strategic automation and technological advancements above and beyond what exists in the pet food industry, according to the company. “Smart” facility technology includes:
- Artificial Intelligence will enable a digital food safety vigilance system
- Automation and robotic devices
- Improved food safety system
- End-to-end digital process/safety monitoring
“This greenfield plant will not only help us to increase our capacity to meet our demand, it will also allow us to unlock the power of cutting-edge science to improve the lives of pets animal development and manufacturing of new nutritional solutions and product formats that best serve the evolving needs of pets and the people who care for them,” Hazlin continued.
Buddy, the robotic dog — just one of the plant’s many automated technologies on display — also attended the opening ceremony. Boston Scientific’s robot will play a key role in running the smart plant — taking product and formula samples for quality lab testing.
The benefits of new smart technology and plant-wide processes include helping to accelerate sales by shortening the production cycle. The plant will also provide the tools to innovate new formats and products to support Hill’s mission to support the health and welfare of pets.
“Hill’s will use technology to work with staff and a new state-of-the-art Mission Control Center to provide unprecedented visibility and monitoring of every aspect of pet food production, from ingredient use to final packaging,” Sharp said. “The production process is a completely ‘closed system’ from ingredient mixing to cooking and container filling — designed to prevent food exposure to environmental contaminants.”
The plant was awarded LEED Gold certification — the first site within Colgate-Palmolive operations to achieve that standard. Among the many sustainability-oriented features at the plant is a water reclamation system that reduces overall water use by treating and recycling wastewater on-site for reuse for future use.
“I could not be more pleased that Hill’s is increasing its investment in our state by opening this facility,” Governor Kelly said at the grand opening. “This significant investment creates more than 100 good-paying, skilled jobs for Kansans.
“With this new facility, Hill’s is using AI to ensure pet food meets quality and safety standards, robots to carry ingredients around, and other smart technology to more than double its wet pet food production capacity,” he added. “It’s incredible — and it’s happening right here in Tonganoxie, Kan.”
Hill’s worked in close collaboration with lead design firm Gray, the Kansas Department of Commerce, the Leavenworth County Development Corporation, the City of Tonganoxie, Evergy and Kansas Gas Service to build the new facility.
