TOPEKA, KS — Hill’s Pet Nutrition plans to invest more than $250 million to build a factory in Leavenworth County in its home state of Kansas.
“Hill’s Pet Nutrition is excited to be growing our roots in Kansas,” said Jesper Nordengaard, president of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a division of the Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL). “We’ve been part of the community for almost 80 years and this new facility will help us to meet our mission of enriching and lengthening the special relationships between people and their pets by providing our high quality nutrition.”
The Tonganoxie plant will join four other Hill’s manufacturing sites in the U.S., including facilities in Emporia and Topeka in Kansas. Topeka is also home to Hill’s global headquarters and its Pet Nutrition Center — recently expanded to include a new Small Paws facility to develop products for small dog breeds.
The facility will be built on 80 acres in Tonganoxie Business Park. It is expected to employ at least 80 people by 2025. The Tonganoxie City Council is scheduled to review the development agreement outlining the project at its meeting June 21. Once all approvals are granted, construction is expected to begin later this year and be completed by 2023.
“Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s decision to invest $250 million in Kansas and bring 80 new jobs to Tonganoxie is further proof that Kansas’ Animal Health Corridor can out-compete any region in the world for these industry investments and jobs,” Gov. Laura Kelly said. “With our central location, talented workforce and reputation as a global leader in animal health and science, our partnership with Hill’s is a no-brainer.”
Working in partnership with the Kansas Department of Commerce, the Leavenworth County Development Corporation, the City of Tonganoxie, Evergy and Kansas Gas Service, Hill’s “chose the site for its excellent location, access to a talented and diverse pool of workers, a strong and welcoming community and proximity to distributors and suppliers,” according to a press release.