Mars Inc. on Wednesday announced the opening of a new $450 million factory for its Royal Canin pet food brand in Southwest Ohio.
The Lewisburg, Ohio, factory is expected to employ as many as 270 people and produce enough dry pet food to feed 4 million pets each year — making it the brand’s largest dry pet food plant worldwide.
Mars CEO Poul Weihrauch called the project “an important milestone” in its commitment to U.S. manufacturing.
“Over the last five years, we invested over $6 billion in the U.S. and we plan to continue to grow our ability to supply the domestic market,” Weihrauch said in a statement. “The Royal Canin facility in Lewisburg provides an important opportunity to further Mars science-based innovation while supporting a community of people and pets that has long been a part of the Mars family.”