Freshpet, Inc., a producer of fresh dog and cat food, plans to expand its manufacturing operations at its current location in Hanover Township, Northampton County.
The expansion will create 100 new full-time jobs over the next three years and up to a total of 200 new jobs once running at full capacity.
The company will build an addition, complete renovations and purchase new equipment as part of the more than $84 million expansion project. Freshpet currently operates out of a 100,000-square-foot facility on 14.2 acres in Hanover Township and has about 221 employees.
“The rapid growth of the Freshpet brand behind requires us to bring online additional capacity by mid-to-late 2020 to support our continued growth and enable us to serve more pets,” Billy Cyr, CEO of Freshpet, said. “It also allows us to provide more career opportunities for the dedicated and talented employees who have helped deliver the success we have had so far. We are very excited to have the opportunity to further advance our manufacturing expertise and expand our Freshpet Kitchens campus in Pennsylvania with the support of our local and state governments.”
The Department of Community and Economic Development awarded Freshpet a $500,000 Pennsylvania First grant and $300,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits to be distributed upon creation of the new jobs. The Manufacturing Tax Credit program, the Workforce Development Board and PA CareerLink will also support the project.
The Governor’s Action Team, a group economic development professionals who report to the governor, and the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) helped to coordinate the project.
“Freshpet’s growth has been a significant contributor to the Lehigh Valley economy, and we’re excited that Freshpet has chosen Pennsylvania for its expansion so we can continue to be a part of its ongoing growth,” Governor Tom Wolf said. “The 100 high-quality manufacturing jobs this project will create is great news for Northampton County workers and their families. Additionally, Freshpet’s focus on buying its ingredients locally means this expansion is good for Pennsylvania’s farmers and food ingredient processors as well.”