USA – Nestle Purina Petcare is set to expand its production capacity for pet foods in North America with the acquisition of a Pet Food facility in Miami, Oklahoma.

The pet facility was previously owned by Red Collar Pet Foods and will mark the 22nd Purina-owned and operated facility nationwide and expand in-house capabilities for dog and cat treats innovation and production.

“We look forward to welcoming the Red Collar team to the Purina family and becoming part of the Miami community,” said Nolan Terry, head of manufacturing for Nestlé’s Purina North America business.

According to Purina, the Red Collar factory was carefully selected based on its current and future soft and meaty pet treats production capabilities and shared commitment to quality and safety.

In addition, the two companies have partnered since 2022 to co-manufacture several soft chew pet treats under its Purina treats portfolio and Zuke’s brands.

The acquisition comes when Purina is rapidly expanding its production capabilities in North America to meet the demand for pet foods.

Two dry food factories are currently under construction in Eden, North Carolina, and Williamsburg Township, Ohio, and are expected to open in late 2023 and 2024 respectively.

In addition, Purina is envisioning investing more than US$2 billion in factory expansions, new construction, and acquisitions and creating more than 850 new jobs in the process between 2020-2025.

The Red Collar Pet Foods is a private label and co-manufacturer in Franklin, Tennessee. The business was formed in 2018 as a result of Chicago-based private equity firm Arbor Investments’ deal to acquire pet-food assets from Mars.

Commenting on the divestment plans, Jim Cohen, president, and CEO at Red Collar Pet Foods said: “The Miami, Oklahoma plant has a long legacy of industry-leading safety and quality, from the knowledgeable people to the high-quality, safe treats they produce”.

“Working together, we can continue our shared legacy of operational excellence when it comes to the safety of our people and quality of our products,” he added.

Andrea Faccio, chief growth officer at Purina backed the deal saying that continued innovation and expanded production capabilities are critical to help drive future growth of the business, applauding the Red Collar team’s expertise, operational excellence, and dedicated associates will be a great fit for Nestlé Purina.”

Once the deal is finalized in March, Purina will begin transitioning factory operations to produce its current and future dog and cat treat products.

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