Mars Petcare expansion puts more jobs in Wodonga
30/06/2023The Victorian Government is supporting a $112.6 million investment by Australia’s largest pet food maker Mars Petcare to expand its Wodonga factory, creating 67 new jobs.
The expansion will provide a new manufacturing line to produce 290 million single-serve pet pouches for cats for Australian and New Zealand markets.
The new factory will allow Mars Petcare to meet the growing demand for Australia’s much loved pet cat ownership which is growing at more than twice the rate as Australia’s dog ownership.
It will initially support the growth of both existing and new product ranges including Whiskas, Advance, Optimum and Dine brands.
Mars Petcare will expand its existing factory with a new 7,800 square metre building which will house specialised manufacturing equipment to increase its production capability with two additional lines.
The Wodonga factory is currently home to Mars Petcare’s canning and single serve tray facilities and is the largest manufacturing and supply site for Mars Petcare in the Asia Pacific region.
The Wodonga site, which opened in 1967, was Mars Petcare’s first site in Australia and is the largest.
Mars Petcare manufacture and distribute an extensive range of pet food including Pedigree, Whiskas, Optimum, Schmackos, and My Dog brands.
Australia has one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world, with about three in five Australian households owning a pet. There are almost 29 million pets in Australia which is more than the estimated human population of 25 million.
The manufacturing sector is the second largest industry in Wodonga, generating more than $329 million for the region each year.
The Victorian Government has made a record investment of more than $41 billion in rural and regional Victoria since 2015. For more information go to Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund.