Mars Petcare Australia has announced a $112.6 million investment into its pet food manufacturing capabilities at its Wodonga factory.
The investment will support the development of a 7,800sqm facility dedicated to the production of Single Serve Pouches, including two additional lines with a combined yearly capacity of 25kT – around 290 million pouches of cat food initially.
Craig Sargeant, General Manager of Mars Petcare Australia, said as a market leader, they are committed to bolstering their local operations by sourcing and making most of the company’s portfolio in Australia.
“This significant investment will allow us to respond to pet trends including the continued rise in cat ownership – growing at nearly 4 per cent per year – more than twice as fast as our dog population.
“We’re also seeing increased demand for convenience, with pouch products representing half of the Australian wet cat food market and growing at nearly 10 per cent per year.”
Primarily serving the Australian and New Zealand markets, the new facility will contribute to the growth of both existing and new product ranges across the company’s well-known Whiskas, Advance, Optimum, and Dine brands.
The investment is supported with grant funding from the Victorian Government’s Regional Development Victoria.
Harriet Shing, Minister for Regional Development Victoria, said as pet ownership continues to increase there are enormous opportunities for businesses like Mars to expand.
“We’re continuing to work with rural and regional producers to support investment in growth industries, to cement Mars Petcare’s long-term operations and workforce in Wodonga and its place in a strong market.”
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