America’s largest manufacturer of dry dog and cat food, Nestle Purina, is investing $140 million to add several new processing and packaging lines for dry pet foods at its production facility in Clinton, IA, the Swiss-owned company announced in a release Friday. 

“Demand for Purina products is strong and continues to grow,” John Bear, vice president of manufacturing at Purina, said in a statement. “Purina is proud to produce high quality products for dogs and cats at our Clinton factory. This expansion reflects an investment in our local operations and our commitment to continue delivering innovative and highly nutritious foods.”

The company said it will “significantly increase” its capacity of kibble-based products at the Clinton plant. Opened in 1969, the facility is one of 21 factories operated by Purina in the U.S. Beyond producing pet food brands like Purina Pro Plan and Purina ONE, the factory also focuses on innovation and new product design. 

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The site currently employs about 360 workers, and some 60 new jobs will be added to the headcount when the project reaches completion in 2022.

“For more than 50 years, Purina’s Clinton factory has provided quality jobs for the region,” Roger Brecht, the manager of Purina’s factory in Clinton, said in the release. “It’s an exciting time for Purina, and we’re proud to continue making the great foods that pets love while bringing even more quality jobs to the region.”

Purina announced plans to invest $115 million in the packaging and production capabilities of its cat litter plant in Bloomfield, MO in February 2019. The company said it will add 110,000 sq ft of space to the Tidy Cats litter production site to boost production of Tidy Cats LightWeight cat litter and Tidy Cats scoop cat litter. 

In November last year, the company officially opened a new $320 million wet cat food plant in Hartwell, GA. It was the first production facility built by Purina in about two decades, according to the company. 

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