Canadian pet food maker to build company’s first U.S. kitchens in western Kentucky
AUBURN, Ky. (April 24, 2014) – Champion Petfoods USA Inc. plans to open its first U.S. kitchen in Logan County. The company, which specializes in Biologically Appropriate™ pet foods using fresh local ingredients, will create 147 new jobs.
“Champion Petfoods is growing worldwide, and we are extremely pleased they have chosen to invest in Logan County,” said Gov. Steve Beshear. “Not only will Champion Petfoods bring vital agricultural jobs to the region, but it will also create a new customer base for nearby farmers and ranchers. We look forward to this exciting partnership.”
Champion’s ORIJEN and ACANA dog and cat food brands feature unique fresh regional ingredients. Champion never outsources food production, and makes every ACANA and ORIJEN food in its own award-winning kitchens. Champion plans to invest more than $85 million to build a world-class pet food kitchen in Auburn. Construction will begin this summer.
Logan County’s agricultural heritage and proximity to ranches and farms makes locating in western Kentucky an excellent choice.
“We rely on ingredients from local farmers and ranchers, and strong relationships with the agricultural community are key to our success. Logan County offers both,” said Frank Burdzy, Champion’s president and chief executive officer. “Pet lovers in America want more of our foods, and we feel the time is right to build a kitchen closer to our US customers. We are extremely pleased that Gov. Beshear and the Commonwealth of Kentucky have partnered with us to grow our food production in Logan County.”
Based in Morinville, Alberta, Champion Petfoods is a proud Canadian company with agriculture roots dating back to 1985. Its award-winning ACANA and ORIJEN brands are sold in more than 70 countries.
The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives of up to $8.7 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the term of the agreement through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
KEDFA also approved Champion Petfoods for tax benefits up to $1.3 million through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act, which allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing equipment.
For more information on Champion Petfoods, visit championpetfoods.com.
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