SILAO, GUANAJUATO, MEXICO — Nestlé Purina PetCare last year invested $160 million to expand its pet food manufacturing facility in Silao, Guanjuato, adding automation and digitization software to support increased capacity and meet growing demand.

The investment, first announced in October 2020, will create roughly 1,600 new indirect jobs and 200 direct jobs in the region. Nestlé Purina cited part of its focus is on “promoting the employability of Mexican talent in their places of origin.”

“The year 2020 has been challenging for the world economy, however at Nestlé we remain firm in our long-term commitment to Mexicans, as we did 90 years ago when we arrived in this country full of unique conditions to prosper,” said Fausto Costa, chief executive officer of Nestlé Mexico. “These investments and the company's main initiatives in Mexico are proof of the confidence we have in the potential of the country and its people to continue strengthening our business and contribute to triggering local and national economic development, inspired by the purpose of improving quality. the life of the communities we serve.”

The Silao facility produces both dry and wet pet food products. According to INEGI data cited by Nestlé, more than half of all Mexican households (57%) have at least one pet, of which 85% are dog-owning households and 15% are cat-owning. This translates to a domestic dog population of 19 million and a cat population of just over 3 million.

“In recent years, the pet food segment has represented significant growth for our business,” said Francisco Mualim, vice president of Purina Petcare Mexico. “Therefore, since 2015, at Purina we have invested more than $400 million in various projects focused on meeting the current nutritional and care needs of the faithful companions of Mexican families. We are pleased to announce this new investment, which allows us to continue guaranteeing the national supply of pet food in a more agile and efficient way. At Nestlé Purina we are sure that people and pets are better together; that is why we work to enrich the lives of pets and the people who love them.”

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