NOKIA, FINLAND — VAFO Group, a Czech super premium pet food producer, recently announced a new facility in Nokia. The facility, slated to finish construction early next year, will be the largest pet food factory in the country, according to VAFO.

The facility will produce 20,000 tons of dry pet food, annually, for VAFO’s Finnish brand Prima Pet Premium Oy. It will also serve as the new home for VAFO’s brand Hau-Hau Champion, a 100% climate neutral, Finnish pet food brand.

Commercial production at the facility is estimated to begin in February or March 2023.

“Once production has started, we’ll be able to better meet consumers’ desire to have domestic, locally produced pet food,” said Timo Pärssinen, chief executive officer of Prima Pet Premium. “Merely ‘designed in Finland’ is no longer enough. Being domestic and taking environmental issues into account is important to consumers and to us as well. It’s also great to be involved in influencing the regional economy and employment.”

Source: VAFO Group

The facility will create eight new jobs once operations begin, and when full capacity is reached by 2025, it will employ 15 to 20 people, specifically within production and packaging areas. According to VAFO, the facility will also indirectly benefit the Nokia and Pirkanmaa regions by using domestic raw materials from local suppliers.  

The Nokia factory represents a new trend in pet food, according to VAFO. With demand ever increasing, locality has become important to consumers in Finland, hence Prima Pet Premium’s commitment to local sourcing and production.

Aside from its own pet food brands, which products span dry and wet diets, treats and supplements, VAFO also produces for various private labels. The company currently exports its products to more than 85 countries throughout the globe.

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