RALEIGH, NC. — North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced Dec. 8 that Farmina Pet Food USA LLC, part of Italy-based Farmina Pet Foods Holding, has chosen Reidsville as the location for its North American headquarters.

The decision will create an estimated 129 jobs over a five-year period and is the result of an approximate $28.5 million capital investment by the company. The facility will include space for manufacturing, research and development and warehousing.

“As a family-owned and operated business, we believe that Reidsville is the perfect fit for our values of quality and continuous innovation, from the workforce to the production technologies,” said Angelo Russo, chief executive officer and owner of Farmina Pet Foods Holding. “Utilizing ingredients from Europe, Farmina’s North Carolina kitchen will make to order our Natural&Delicious and Vetlife dry nutritional solutions for cats and dogs.

“A state-of-the-art microbiological and chemical lab will be equipped to carry out the company’s strict quality control procedures, establishing a new benchmark for creating pet nutrition solutions in the US,” he added. “We plan to further invest in the Southeast to develop a network of family-owned regional farms that meet our farm-to-table ingredient quality standards.”

New positions include machine operators, shipping clerks, veterinarians, chemical technicians and various other roles with the average salary of $46,722 per year, higher than Rockingham County’s average wage of $35,146 per year, the North Carolina Department of Commerce shared. These jobs are expected to create $6.15 million in annual payroll impact in the area.

“We welcome Farmina Pet Food to North Carolina, and are proud to be the base for its North American operations,” Cooper said. “Their choice will add jobs to Reidsville and our excellent workforce and infrastructure will serve them well as they continue to grow.”

Anthony M. Copeland, commerce secretary at the North Carolina Department of Commerce, added, “Farmina’s selection of North Carolina for this significant investment provides ample evidence that our infrastructure, workforce, cost structure and global market access enable leading companies to meet their strategic business objectives. We welcome Farmina as the newest member of our manufacturing community and appreciate the outstanding work of our partners and allies who helped make today’s announcement possible.”

North Carolina’s Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) program will support Farmina’s presence in the area over the next 12 years. The project is projected to grow the state’s economy by more than $857 million. The JDIG has authorized a potential reimbursement to Farmina of up to $1.833 million over the next 12 years.

Other key partners included the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, North Carolina Community College System, Rockingham County, the City of Reidsville, the Rockingham County Center for Economic Development, Small Business & Tourism, and Duke Energy.

Farmina Pet Food was founded in 1965 and began producing food for small animals. Today, the company uses natural ingredients, including non-GMO ingredients and natural antioxidants, to manufacture wet and dry dog and cat food products.

Farmina operates manufacturing facilities in Italy, Brazil and Serbia, as well as a sales and marketing office in New York City.

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