THIRSK, UNITED KINGDOM — Inspired Pet Nutrition (IPN), owner of Harringtons and Wagg pet food brands, announced an investment of more than £6 million ($7.5 million) to expand its existing manufacturing plant in Kinmel, North Wales. According to IPN, the expanded facility will triple its wet dog food tray capacity to 75 million units annually.

The facility expansion will involve new processing and filling lines to boost the company’s manufacturing efficiency, which originally began in 2021. The expansion is expected to be fully operational by January 2023.

According to IPN, the new lines will be three times faster compared to its current manufacturing lines, which are currently operating continuously. The expansion of the line will allow IPN to focus on wet tray processing for its brand Harringtons, as well as allowing the company to develop new products.

“The wet tray market in both the branded and own label sectors looks set for even further growth, and this significant investment will ensure we can meet demand,” said Dominic Whelan, site operations manager at IPN’s Kinmel facility. “Two years ago, IPN Kinmel produced about 4,000 tons of finished goods; this has now risen to an astonishing 10,500 tons.”

Harringtons pet food line. (Source: Harringtons)

Founded in 2008, Harringtons is a premium pet food brand that offers both dry and wet complete-and-balanced meals and treats for dogs and cats, as well as other small pet foods, formulated with human-grade, fresh proteins and vegetables. According to IPN, Harringtons is one of the UK’s largest dry dog food brands, bought by 4.5 million households throughout the country.

According to Harringtons, the wet dog food segment of the industry has proven extremely popular, with sales increasing at nearly 100%. The brand plans to meet this increased demand, as the facility expansion is estimated to increase Harringtons’ wet dog food capacity by 75%. The expansion will also provide IPN with more capabilities to offer its consumers a more diverse choice of wet pet food tray formats, including recyclable aluminum to support sustainably minded consumers.

Currently, IPN’s Kinmel facility has nearly 100 employees. According to the company, Kinmel’s financial turnover has risen from £11.5 million ($14.5 million) in June 2019 to more than £20 million ($25.1 million) in June 2021.

Aside from Harringtons and Wagg, IPN also produces Barking Heads and AATU pet food brands.

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