Another pet food company expanding to Richmond
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Fargo, North Dakota-based Anchor Ingredients broke ground Tuesday on a $40 million transload and ingredient processing facility at the Midwest Industrial Park in Richmond.
The company, which processes and supplies ingredients for the pet food industry, said it will add about 30 jobs and has plans for future growth at the site.
“In order for this industry to be able to succeed and for Richmond to become the new pet food hub, we saw an opportunity to build a facility to be able to take raw materials from their origin, be able to bring those in locally and do the distribution to the manufacturers,” said co-founder and CEO Al Yablonski.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Yablonski said the plant will focus on the behind-the-scenes work in pet food manufacturing.
“This facility will receive product in via truck and via rail and via ocean freight containers. It will store that product in warehouses and in bulk silos,” he said. “It’ll process that product can convert it from a raw agricultural commodity into a usable ingredient, and then it will transport it from this facility to the manufacturers in the region.”
The plant will also include quality assurance testing. The Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County said the facility will expand rail infrastructure at the industrial park.
Founded in 2015, Anchor Ingredient’s processing facilities clean, mill, package and blend a variety of ingredients, including barley, flaxseed, oats, and lentils. The company also distributes other ingredients, such as nuts, vegetables, fruits, and herbs and spices.
The company said the facility will help drive efficiencies for customers by optimizing logistics and providing local distribution.
“This expansion into Richmond will continue to diversify our product and service offerings within the pet food industry and further position Anchor as the preferred supply chain partner for the world’s largest pet food brands,” Yablonski said in written remarks.
With Indiana at a near-record low unemployment, Yablonski said he is confident the company will be able to find the workforce it needs.
“We spend a lot of time on ensuring that the culture and the opportunity is great for all employees at Anchor Ingredients; we plan to bring that to Richmond,” he said. “We offer competitive wages, competitive benefits, and a great upside opportunity for every employee dependent no matter what level you start with. We think once we’re able to effectively communicate that message to the local workforce, we’ll be able to attract the right people.”
The investment adds to a growing pet food manufacturing sector in Richmond. The Midwest Industrial Park is already home to Connecticut-based Blue Buffalo Co. Ltd., which is in the midst of a $200 million expansion of its Richmond operations.
“Anchor’s meaningful investment will provide a key element in the growth of our pet food manufacturing sector,” said Richmond Mayor Dave Snow. “We’ve seen significant investment in Richmond over the last six months, which are rallying points that show our current upward trajectory.”
Construction on the new facility is expected to begin immediately and be complete by June 2024.
But Yablonski adds there is plenty of room for further expansion in Richmond. He said the site that the company acquired is 35 acres and the new plant will only take up a fraction of that land.
“We have big plans to continue to invest in the supply chain infrastructure necessary to support this industry as it continues to grow,” he said. “So that’ll mean new processes, new products, new additional storage on site to be able to support the industry.”
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has offered Anchor Ingredients up to $310,000 in tax credits and up to $200,000 in Manufacturing Readiness Grants, which the company will not be able to claim until Hoosier workers are hired for the new jobs.