Henderson, NC Celebrates $21M Investment into Local Manufacturing Facility

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Sept. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce and Mars Petcare US celebrated a $21M investment today. Mars Petcare, one of the world's leading pet care providers, is expanding support for its existing facility in Henderson, which currently produces IAMS® and EUKANUBA® brand pet foods. Improvements planned for the facility will give the company increased flexibility to respond to consumer demand by producing more dog and cat food, as well as to ensure the site has the highest food safety standards for products made at the site.

"The State of North Carolina welcomes this global company's significant investment in Vance County," said Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla, III.  "North Carolina's convenience to major consumer markets makes it a natural fit for companies like Mars."

The Mars Petcare investment in Henderson includes a significant renovation to the facility, which is underway and expected to be complete in mid-November.  A number of upgrades are planned to increase productivity and quality, including an upgrade on the mill, new coating systems and two new baggers for the pet food manufactured here. The site, originally operated by Proctor & Gamble, was acquired by Mars Petcare as part of its acquisition of Proctor & Gamble's pet food portfolio in August 2014.

"This investment from Mars Petcare sends a very strong message that the company values our community," said Paco Tello, plant manager for the Henderson site. "This contribution will help accelerate our product distribution while better positioning us as a leader in the pet care industry."

The Henderson investment is the latest in a series of significant economic investments Mars Petcare has made in local communities. In the last five years alone, the company has invested $1B in U.S. factories and operations and created more than 1,000 U.S. jobs. Investments like Henderson continue to fuel growth – it is part of an estimated $900M in capital investments between 2016 and 2017 that the company is making in North America.

"The investment Mars has made to the Henderson facility sends a strong message that they are a vibrant corporate partner that values our community," said Vance County Commissioner Tommy Hester. "When companies like Mars invest in their facilities and community, it is an economic driver for the entire region and we look forward to seeing the impact this facility brings."

Mars Petcare continues be a global leader in food and quality safety by giving back to the communities where it operates. Locally, Mars Petcare has donated food and dog beds to area animal shelters and other organizations.

Broadly, Mars Petcare's charitable work includes:

• Donating more than $5M in cash and product to organizations across the U.S. to find homes for pets and ensure that pets and their families have nutritious food on hand,
• The Pedigree Foundation® was created to change perceptions about dogs in shelters and to help dogs find loving homes. Since its inception, The Pedigree Foundation® has awarded more than $5M while the brand has donated more than 20 million pounds of food to shelter dogs.

For more information on Mars Petcare, please visit www.mars.com.

About Mars Petcare US

Mars Petcare is the world's leading pet nutrition and health care business that strives to make A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS® every day. We believe that pets make our lives better and that pet ownership brings joy and benefits which should be accessible to everyone. In the United States, Mars Petcare food brands include PEDIGREE®, IAMS®, ROYAL CANIN®, GREENIES®, CESAR®, NUTRO® and SHEBA®. Veterinary practices include BANFIELD® and BLUE PEARL®. Specialty brands include WISDOM PANEL® Canine DNA Tests and WHISTLE GPS Pet Tracker. The company's WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition® is a leading scientific authority on pet nutrition and wellbeing. Mars Petcare has more than 37,000 Associates worldwide. For more information about how we're creating A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS®, visit https://www.facebook.com/ABetterWorldforPets.

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SOURCE Mars Petcare

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http://www.mars.com