Natural State News

Mars Petcare is investing $145 million to expand its Fort Smith, Arkansas manufacturing facility, according to PR Newswire.

The company is expanding manufacturing capability in response to rising demand. According to the Mars Petcare, Pets in a Pandemic: BETTER CITIES FOR PETS 2020 Report, as the COVID-19 pandemic caused millions of Americans to isolate at home, more than 11 million households in the U.S. took in new pets in the last year. Existing pet owners also spent more time with their pets at home and have tried new types of food for their pets leading to growth in the wet pet food category.

"At Mars Petcare, everything we do is in service of our purpose: A better world for pets," Ikdeep Singh, Regional president of Mars Petcare North America, said. "The investment in our Fort Smith manufacturing facility enables us to continue to serve the ever-growing needs of pets and pet parents and represents our commitment to our associates and this community."

Including this new investment, Mars Petcare has invested more than $420 million to date in the Fort Smith facility. This investment will be used to add more than 200,000 square feet and two additional production lines to the facility, increasing production capacity by over 40%. This new expansion is projected to create more than 120 full-time jobs with plans for further expansion in the future.

"The investment from Mars Petcare in their Fort Smith manufacturing facility will boost the economy at both the local and state level," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. "Since the facility opened in 2009, it has become a hub of diverse and quality jobs, and we thank Mars Petcare for continuing to grow and invest in the Fort Smith community."

The expansion project is scheduled to begin later this month and is predicted to be complete in 2022. 

Originally opened in Sept. 2009, the Fort Smith facility is one of 14 Mars Petcare sites in the United States.