Freshpet to Built New Texas Production Facility, Adding 400+ Jobs

On Wednesday, the Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that New Jersey-based pet food manufacturer Freshpet will build a new production facility in Ennis, TX that will create 427 jobs.

FreshpetA press release from Abbott’s office stated that Freshpet — which produces refrigerated food for pets without using powders, preservatives or additives — is investing $264 million in the project, while a Texas Enterprise Fund grant has contributed $2.1 million.

“Our third Freshpet Kitchen is in the perfect location to help us drive new innovation while making our food in a way that’s best for pets, people and the planet,” said Billy Cyr, Freshpet CEO. “We wanted the home of our next Kitchen to be a place that we would be proud to send our employees to live and work and Ennis blew us away with the compelling vision of their leadership, the ongoing investments they have made to their infrastructure, and the availability of top-notch talent to support our growth.”

Ennis is located about 35 miles southeast of downtown Dallas, TX.

The announcement came one day after Freshpet reported its 2019 fourth quarter and full-year financial results. The Secaucus, NJ-based company posted total 2019 sales of $246 million, up 27 percent from 2018, with Q4 sales of $66 million also surging by that same amount.

The company’s footprint includes a 100,000-square-foot production facility in Pennsylvania, and Freshpet has ramped up its manufacturing capacity over the past year.