Nestlé has announced that it is investing more than £150 million (€178.6 million) in its Nestlé Purina PetCare factory in Wisbech, UK.
The site in Wisbech is home to pet food brands including Felix, Gourmet and Winalot.
The Swiss company said the move reflects Nestlé's commitment to meeting the evolving trends in pet care and the growing emphasis on pet well-being.
Energy Efficiency
The investment includes installing latest technology and machinery on its existing production lines, a re-vamp of facilities for the factory's 600 workers and initiatives to improve energy efficiency and to help reduce carbon emissions over the coming years.
Work on the facility is already under way, with completion expected in early 2025.
The investment means the factory has been able to recruit 40 new skilled workers, Nestlé added.
Strong Growth Category
The multinational said pet care is a strong growth category for Nestlé and in 2023 accounted for around 20% of total sales for the group, up from around 12% a decade ago.
Nestlé recently made investments in other pet care sites across the globe, including facilities in the United States, Brazil and Hungary.
Mexico Investment
In May, Nestlé Purina has announced an investment of CHF 200 million (€203.7 million) to expand its pet food plant in Silao, Mexico.
The project includes the addition of a third production line for wet pet food and a fourth for dry pet food, the company added.
Currently, the facility in Silao produces around 125 varieties of dry and 45 varieties of wet pet food.
Consumers And Pets
Earlier this year, Euromonitor released data which showed pet owners spent €182.7 billion on their pets last year – a 6% increase on the previous year – on a global level.
In addition, Euromonitor forecast a growth rate of 4.7% for 2024.
North America is the largest global market for pet supplies, valued at €84.8 billion, while Western Europe accounts for €37.9 billion, and Asia-Pacific €26 billion.
