Gov. Tony Evers announced in a recent press release that Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. is expanding its production facility in Jefferson — a $195 million project expected to bring an additional 100 jobs to the community it has called home since 1910.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) is supporting the project by authorizing up to $1.7 million in performance-based business development tax credits over the next five years. The actual amount of tax credits Purina will receive is contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment during that period.
The project will increase production of wet pet food brands in Jefferson by nearly 50% and add 35,000 square feet to the facility. Purina currently employs more than 250 local associates.
The expansion is part of a larger growth strategy for the pet care company, which recently celebrated the grand opening of a new dry pet food facility in Eden, North Carolina, and completed an expansion of its King William, Virginia, litter factory. Between 2020–2025, Nestlé is on track to invest $2 billion in Purina’s factory and capital expansion projects.
The city of Jefferson has created a tax incremental financing district providing up to $2 million in assistance to the company for project costs over a 20-year period.
