Nestlé has announced a significant investment of €472 million ($507 million) into a new pet food manufacturing facility in Northern Italy, as confirmed by the Italian government.
Slated for construction in the Valdaro industrial zone within Mantua, the factory will specialise in the production of wet pet food, stated Adolfo Urso, Italy’s Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy, today (10 April).
Spanning approximately 180,000 square metres, the development of the site is expected to generate 300 employment opportunities. According to the Italian ministry, the project is scheduled for completion by 2027.
“The great teamwork with the ministry has led to this important result which sees the strategic role of Italy for Nestlé recognised in this rapidly developing sector,” remarked Marco Travaglia, President and CEO of Nestlé Italy.
Urso further commented, “The desire to strengthen its presence in Italy by a significant multinational such as Nestlé confirms the renewed centrality of our country for the production sites of important global companies. The realisation of this project is the result of a great support work by Mimit towards the investor, who has been assisted by the ministry in every phase up to now.”
Just Food has reached out to Nestlé for additional details.
This announcement follows Nestlé’s recent investment in its Purina pet food facility in Hungary earlier this year.
In October last year, the conglomerate disclosed an investment of approximately Ft90bn ($247m) for the establishment of two new production units at its Bük location, which is anticipated to augment its annual production capacity by 66%, from about 150,000 tonnes to 250,000 tonnes.
The inauguration of the new manufacturing unit will mark the culmination of a five-year development initiative that started in 2020, elevating the total investment in the Bük facility to Ft300bn.
In 2023, Nestlé’s PetCare division reported revenues of SFr18.9bn ($20.7bn), an increase from SFr18.1bn the previous year. The Swiss entity highlighted that it “was the largest contributor to organic growth, with strong momentum across all channels”.
The underlying operating profit rose from SFr3.7bn in 2022 to SFr3.9bn, with brands such as Purina One, Purina Pro Plan, and Friskies demonstrating notable performance.
