Simmons Pet Food Inc., a supplier of custom and private label pet food solutions in the U.S. and Canada, opened its new $60 million Flexible Packaging Facility in Emporia, KS, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The investment brings approximately 100 new jobs, with the potential for up to 200 new jobs when the facility expansion reaches full capacity, according to a press release from the company. Before the expansion, Simmons Pet Food had about 500 employees at its Emporia location.
“The expansion of our operations in Emporia signals to our customers that we are stepping up our game in a major way,” said Jason Godsey, president of Simmons Pet Food. “We want to build strong and lasting relationships with our customers and flexible packaging is what our customers expect.
“Now we have the capacity and the capability to meet growing market demand and accentuate our leadership in the industry.”
With customer demand for cup, tub and pouch packaging formats projected to grow, the Flexible Packaging Facility strategically positions the company to be the leading supplier of flexible packaging solutions for the domestic market and to compete for new markets internationally.
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By 2022 the Flexible Packaging Facility expansion expects to increase annual facility output to an estimated 9 million cases of wet pet food cups and 2.4 million cases of tubs.
Simmons Pet Food operates three wet pet food production facilities, a dry pet food facility and a treats production facility. These operations are in Northwest Arkansas, Kansas, New Jersey and Ontario, Canada