RICHMOND, IN — Natural pet food brand Blue Buffalo announced the opening of its $200 million manufacturing plant in Richmond, IN.
The 400,000-square-foot plant will create 165 full-time jobs in food processing, quality assurance, maintenance and plant management. The 125-acre campus increases the U.S. production capacity of BLUE Life Protection Formula, BLUE Wilderness, BLUE Basics and BLUE Freedom dry dog and cat foods.
“Blue Buffalo is focused on enhancing the health of pets by providing dog and cat food made with the highest quality wholesome, natural ingredients,” said Billy Bishop, president of Blue Buffalo Pet Foods, a division of General Mills Inc. “Our new state-of-the-art plant in Richmond exceeds industry standards in food safety and product quality, and will allow Blue Buffalo to feed more pets and reach more pet parents wherever they shop.”
The plant has the capacity to produce more than 1 million pounds of dry dog and cat food per day.
“With this expanded manufacturing capability, General Mills and Blue Buffalo can better meet the growing demand for pet food made with natural ingredients,” said Jeff Harmening, General Mills chairman and CEO. “This new plant is another example of General Mills accelerating the growth of our natural and organic brands. As an Indiana native, I’m also proud that Blue Buffalo is creating jobs and fueling the local economy in Richmond and surrounding areas.”
Construction of the plant started in 2016. It is Blue Buffalo’s second company-owned manufacturing plant, with the first facility located in Joplin, MO. Blue Buffalo products can be found at pet specialty stores and grocery, drug store and mass merchandise retailers in North America as well as Amazon.com, Chewy.com and other online stores.
“Job creators around the world continue to choose to grow their operations in Indiana because of our low costs and highly-skilled Hoosier workforce,” said Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb. “Companies like General Mills and Blue Buffalo are taking notice, and we’re thrilled for them to make their premium pet food in the strongest manufacturing state in the country. Blue Buffalo’s Indiana growth will provide quality career opportunities to Hoosiers, and we look forward to their many years of success in our state.”