Six years later, Purina US$550M pet food plant in Ohio begins operations

U.S.A – Purina has begun operations at its US$550 million pet food manufacturing facility outside Batavia, Ohio, six years after breaking ground, marking the first plant the company has built from the ground up in over 50 years. 

Plant manager Mike Ferritto said the facility will eventually produce enough dry pet food to feed 8 million animals annually.

“This facility is really designed to be flexible and efficient. So, it enables us to respond to demand and consumers’ needs in a very efficient manner. It’s one of the benefits you get when you build a facility from the ground up,” Ferritto said.

The plant sits on a 1.3 million-square-foot site and includes 11 buildings.

Distribution has already started, with full-scale manufacturing expected within four to five months. 

The plant was developed with state and local incentives worth up to US$10 million, including tax credits and land discounts. 

Even though the plant has extensive automation, including a robotic delivery system, Ferrito said he expects the facility to employ more than 500 workers once fully operational.

“Yeah, the way we view automation is really it’s a tool to help folks do their job. As you saw in the distribution centre, there’s lots of different automations, but really it’s designed to complement the employees so they can really focus on the value-added work and enable them to do their roles more efficiently each and every day,” he said.

Pet Care innovation momentum grows

The launch comes at a time of rapid innovation in the pet care sector, particularly in North America. 

Purina’s corporate venturing arm, 9Square Ventures, recently hosted the 2026 Pet Care Innovation Prize at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Florida. 

The competition supports early-stage startups in pet health, nutrition, services, and technology, offering funding, mentorship, and industry exposure.

PetPax Co., a Boston-based startup specialising in black-box oral thin-film pet supplements, won the US$25,000 grand prize after pitching to industry executives. 

The company’s SupplaMelts™ delivery platform, including ZenMelts® for calming and DentalMelts™ for oral health, is designed to improve nutrient absorption while reducing stress for pets and caregivers. 

Four additional winners, ChefPaw, CoVetAI Inc., Innovative Pet Lab, and Pawsitive Inc., received funding and mentorship to scale solutions ranging from personalised nutrition and AI-powered veterinary tools to stress-monitoring wearables and at-home pet diagnostics.

“The 2026 Pet Care Innovation Prize highlights the growing momentum for high-impact, science-based solutions in pet health and wellness,” said Patrick Mullen, vice president of strategic planning at Purina. 

He emphasised that supporting startups enables the industry to address unmet needs and accelerate the global adoption of new technologies.

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