CARROS, FRANCE — On Oct. 12, Virbac announced plans for a new production site located in Nîmes. The new facility will integrate all production processes for the company’s Veterinary HPM line.

Virbac currently contracts out certain production stages of its Veterinary HPM line to three French suppliers and coats and packages the finished product at its Virbac Nutrition facility in Vauvert, France. The new facility will strive to bring all production, from raw materials to finished product, under one roof.

“In order to manage the increasing volumes of pet food to be produced, it had become essential to secure this activity through a set of key measures: direct control of the supply of raw materials and the entire production chain, guaranteeing quality, optimizing costs, and accelerating innovation and market launch,” said Sébastien Huron, chief executive officer of Virbac.

The company plans to construct a 12,000-square-meter (129,167-square-foot) facility in Nîmes, located just 20 km (0.62 miles) from the Virbac Nutrition facility. The plant will feature additional extrusion and packaging lines, as well as space for future expansion.

Virbac plans to maintain a portion of its subcontract partnerships to help with fluctuations in consumer demand.

“In view of the preponderant place I give to economic development at the heart of Nîmes Métropole's competences, today is a happy day, a new milestone on the way to the Agglo's renewed dynamism,” said Frank Proust, president of Nîmes Métropole. “Virbac's project has met that of Nîmes Métropole; we share common values and ambitions… We are happy to welcome [Virbac] to our territory and to share a piece of life together.”

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