SILOAM SPRINGS, ARK. — Simmons Pet Food on Oct. 27 announced plans to expand production capacity with the addition of a canned pet food processing line in Arkansas and a new wet pet food operation at an unspecified location. The upgrades are expected to come online in 2021.

The expansion will take place in two phases, the first of which includes the installation of a new wet pet food line capable of producing 168 million cans annually. This line will be operational in July 2021 and create up to 100 new jobs in the Arkansas region.

The second phase will take place at a different Simmons’ processing facility and will provide expanded capacity of 240 million units annually. This expansion is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2021. The company is not yet sharing the location of this new facility.

“We want to continue to grow with our customers and provide them with exceptional customer service and the superior product quality they have come to expect from Simmons,” said Scott Salmon, president of Simmons Pet Food. “These expansion plans are a commitment to deliver on that promise.”

Simmons Pet Food continues to build on its pet food production capabilities. The company recently invested $100 million in a new growth plan, which helped fund the construction of its new Emporia Flex Plant in 2019 and the installation of a new high-speed canning line at its main Emporia, Kan., plant. That line became fully operational in October 2020.

 “Our vision is to be the most trusted partner in our industry for food that nourishes and delights pets,” Salmon added. “We lead with technical expertise with a world-class team focused on quality, safety, nutrition and formulation based on leading-edge consumer data and insights. We are excited this winning formula allows us to continue to grow and enable our customers’ success.”

As a subsidiary of Simmons Foods, Simmons Pet Food is a private-label contract manufacturer of wet and dry pet foods and treats. The company currently operates two wet pet food production facilities, one dry pet food facility, and one treat processing plant across Northwest Arkansas, Kansas and Ontario, Canada.

Read more about pet food processing on our Operations page.