Purina Opens First New U.S. Factory Built from the Ground Up in More Than 50 Years

Nestlé Purina officially opens its newest U.S. pet food manufacturing facility in Batavia, Ohio, marking the company's first factory built from the ground up since 1975 and its largest manufacturing investment to date. The more than $550 million project is designed to increase production capacity while showcasing the company's latest manufacturing technologies.

Nestlé PurinaLocated about 30 miles east of Cincinnati, the 1.3 million-sq-ft facility becomes Purina's 24th U.S. manufacturing plant. The factory currently produces Purina Pro Plan, Purina ONE, and Dog Chow products, employs more than 430 associates, and is expected to grow to more than 500 employees as operations continue to expand.

The multistory facility incorporates an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS), advanced digital manufacturing technologies, and a Manufacturing Experience Center intended to educate visitors, students, and community leaders about modern manufacturing. According to the company, the plant is designed to feed approximately 8 million pets annually while providing greater flexibility to respond to changing consumer demand across its product portfolio.

"Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Purina in Ohio," says Nina Leigh Krueger, President and CEO of Purina. "The Batavia factory reflects our long-term commitment to American manufacturing, innovation and the communities where we operate. By investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure and partnering with a skilled workforce and supportive community, we have built a facility that will help us serve pets and their owners for generations to come."

Nestlé PurinaPurina says it selected Batavia because of the region's manufacturing workforce, strategic location within the Cincinnati-area food manufacturing corridor, and logistics advantages. The project expands the company's Ohio manufacturing presence alongside its Zanesville facility, which has operated since 1973. The company continues hiring engineers, operators, technical specialists, and other manufacturing professionals as production ramps up.