Mars Petcare to Invest $145 Million in Arkansas Facility Expansion
Mars Petcare has announced it will invest $145 million to expand its manufacturing facility located in Fort Smith, AR.
“At Mars Petcare, everything we do is in service of our purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS,” said Ikdeep Singh, Regional President of Mars Petcare North America. “The investment in our Fort Smith manufacturing facility enables us to continue to serve the ever-growing needs of pets and pet parents and represents our commitment to our Associates and this community.”
Today’s announcement builds on a series of investments that Mars Petcare has made in its Fort Smith facility, totaling more than $420 million to date. This latest investment will create more than 120 new full-time jobs, with further expansion planned for the future and also represents a continued commitment from Mars Petcare to manufacture its products where they’re sold and invest in the people and communities where the company operates. Mars Petcare Associates help improve the lives of pets and pet parents and will play a key role in the success of this expansion.
“The investment from Mars Petcare in their Fort Smith manufacturing facility will boost the economy at both the local and state level,” said Asa Hutchinson, Governor of Arkansas. “Since the facility opened in 2009, it has become a hub of diverse and quality jobs, and we thank Mars Petcare for continuing to grow and invest in the Fort Smith community.”
The facility expansion will begin this month and is scheduled for completion in 2022. With the investment, Mars Petcare will add more than 200,000 square-feet and two additional production lines, increasing production capacity by more than 40 percent, with room for growth in the future to continue meeting the growing demands of pet parents.
Since opening in September 2009, the Fort Smith facility, which is one of 14 Mars Petcare sites in the United States, has been a fundamental manufacturing hub for tray format foods, making brands like SHEBA, CESAR, IAMS and NUTRO.
In early 2021, the industry leader will be announcing new products in the wet food category, including SHEBA Bistro cat food, a line of new chef-inspired entrees and new offerings from the CESAR Brand.
UK Recall
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Mars Petcare UK announced today (Friday, Jan. 15) that it was proactively recalling a limited number of products, including CHAPPIE Complete, PEDIGREE Dry Mixer and PEDIGREE Complete Dry Chicken and Vegetables products. According to a company announcement, these products do not meet its high quality and safety standards and could contain levels of Vitamin D which may cause harm to pets if consumed over several weeks, so it is taking this proactive step to retrieve the listed products.
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