ZIWI Peak, a brand of air-dried pet food and treats produced in New Zealand and distributed globally including in the United States, has announced the development of a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Awatoto, New Zealand. The company plans to invest approximately NZ$70 million (USD$45.8 million) into the nearly 130,000-sq-ft facility.

Equipped with the latest processing solutions, including new air-drying technology, ZIWI expects its new Awatoto facility to double its current production capacity.

“The ZIWI team has worked hard over many years building a strong and loyal customer base,” said Richard Lawrence, managing director of ZIWI Peak. “A new state-of-the-art processing kitchen is necessary for ensuring that we can continue to meet strong global demand for our products. At the same time, it will help us to continue to improve our energy efficiency and environmental footprint.”

The company currently manufactures pet food and treats at three plants in Tauranga, but said it plans to close those facilities once the Awatoto site is fully operational. ZIWI employees in Tauranga will be offered positions at the Awatoto facility.

“ZIWI has spent the past three years working with parties in evaluating a number of potential locations in the Tauranga region but has been unsuccessful in finding a site of sufficient size, and with the necessary infrastructure available in meeting the timeframe required,” Lawrence explained.

ZIWI reported its Christchurch processing facility and sales and marketing offices in Auckland will be unaffected by these plans.

Construction for the Awatoto plant is slated to begin in August 2020 and end in the fall of 2021. ZIWI said it hopes to develop new air-dried pet food product lines and double its annual sales over the next three to five years with the opening of the new facility.

 “ZIWI has a global reputation of crafting recipes featuring world-class, ethically sourced ingredients from New Zealand,” Lawrence said. “We’re committed to continuing to offer pets and their human companions foods prepared in our new kitchens, right here in our home of New Zealand.”

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