With the last two years seeing more people adopting pets, the Purina factory is now set to meet the growing demand for wet cat food in Australia and beyond thanks to the newly installed state-of-the-art high-speed manufacturing technology.
As well, the Purina team has expanded to meet the increased demand, with 20 new jobs now created on site, creating cat favorites such as Felix, Fancy Feast, Pro Plan and Purina One.
Nestlé Blayney Factory Manager Charlene De Wit said the new facility is a testament to Nestlé’s commitment to local manufacturing and support for the Central West community.
“We are proud to produce quality Purina pet food for our much-loved furry friends across Australia and around the region, right here in Blayney.
“Our expanded facilities will allow us to scale up production of single-serve wet cat food by over 120% – as well as the dry cat and dog food we already produce,” Ms De Wit said.
The opening brings Nestlé’s total investment in the factory to more than $200 million over the past 10 years, as the business has increased production and developed new capabilities. The wet cat food facility, opened in late 2014, was developed to create premium products with the taste profile cats prefer, and the simplicity their owners prefer.
The expansion will position Nestlé Purina as a key regional supplier, with both wet and dry pet food exported from Blayney to New Zealand, Thailand and Japan.
The new facilities will also see a significant quantity of local ingredients used in production. More than 85% of raw materials used at the Nestlé Blayney factory will be sourced locally, including meats and grains.
Ms De Wit continued, “We have an incredibly dedicated and highly skilled team here at Blayney. By bringing leading technology to our factory and continuing to use high quality ingredients in our product, we are even more confident that we will continue to enrich the lives of pets and the people who love them for years to come.”
The Nestlé factory in Blayney began operations in 1989, and now features world-class facilities to manufacture brands such as Felix, Fancy Feast, Pro Plan, Supercoat and Purina One.