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Mars Petcare Invests Another $117M in Fort Smith Factory Expansion

2 min read

Mars Petcare of Franklin, Tennessee on Wednesday announced that it’s investing another $117 million and adding 140 jobs to expand operations at its pet food manufacturing plant in Fort Smith.  

The money will be used to add two production lines, build a new 47,000-SF warehouse and update existing equipment, according to an Arkansas Economic Development Commission news release. 

It’s the second major expansion the company has announced this year. Mars said in January that it was spending $145 million to add 200,000 SF to its Fort Smith operation. That investment created 120 jobs and two new production lines. 

The four new production lines announced this year will increase capacity by 75%, or more than 1 billion meals per year.

All phases of the project are expected to be completed in 2023. 

Mars brands include Pedigree, Whiskas, Cesar and Iams. The company has seen increased demand for its products during the COVID-19 pandemic as more people have adopted pets and spent more time at home, according to the release. Sales of wet foods were up 18% this year.

The Fort Smith plant, which opened in 2009, is one of 14 Mars Petcare sites in the U.S.

Mars has invested $540 million in the plant. 

Arkansas has provided Mars with the following incentives: the Tax Back Program, which provides a sales and use tax refund for eligible expenditures; five years of the Create Rebate Program, which is a cash rebate based on the company’s annual payroll for new employees; $1 million from Governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund; and $125,000 for workforce training.

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