Prairie Dog Pet Products making big investment in manufacturing
Pet treat company Prairie Dog Pet Products is investing in its manufacturing capabilities. The Abilene, Texas-based company, coming off a push in the last half of this year, will be putting up $18 million in 2021 to build out its equipment and facilities, which it said would expand its output and enable safer products and more innovation.
"We're focused on each facility becoming world class in quality, sustainability and efficiency," said Ted Mischaikov, CEO of Prairie Dog Pet Products. "Each investment is interwoven into the fabric of processes and products we are creating across frozen, freeze-dried, air-dried and smoked treats and diets. Our goal is to provide large volumes of higher quality and more innovative dried products for our private label and co-pack business partners."
The investments are largely focused on low-temperature and low-impact technology that can help retain nutritional profiles in its pet food, as well as investments in kitchen upgrades meant to improve efficiency at its plants and its headquarters in Montrose, Colo. The company said its premium product lines are made in support of private label customers and retailers.
With regard to its freeze-drying technology, the company’s Abilene plant will triple its freeze-dried food capacity next year, adding equipment set aside specifically for research and development, while also installing more individual quick-freeze technology. Both locations will see kitchen expansions, which follow the overhaul of their smokehouses and air dryers to enable digital controls and accompany ongoing volume increases and new steam support systems. Prairie Dog Pet Products also recently moved antler production in Montrose to a larger facility in what it said was a response to the growing demand for premium natural chews and the need to strengthen supplier relationships.
"These capital and process initiatives will increase our prowess and capacity to create the clean, healthy nutrition customers expect and their pets absolutely deserve," Mischaikov said. "We're advancing aggressively into the future technologies and processes that best serve our brand partners and the pets they feed. It's an exciting time to work at Prairie Dog."
Additionally, the company is meeting with municipalities to identify potential locations for new corporate offices and an R&D department that would be co-located with a new smoking and air drying production plant that the company said was meant to increase its treat line by 250%.