Royal Canin USA president Keith Levy, South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard and North Sioux City Mayor Randy Fredericksen break ground on Royal Canin's $120 million plant in June 2016. A year after breaking ground on the new plant, the company announced it was hiring 50 new workers for its existing plant who will eventually work at the new facility when it opens.
Earl Horlyk
The land behind this chain link fence is where Royal Canin's USA upcoming $120 million pet food processing plant will be built. The current plant, show in the background, is expected to be eventually demolished.
NORTH SIOUX CITY -- An empty field behind Royal Canin USA’s existing plant on North Derby Lane in North Sioux City will soon be the site of the pet food manufacturer's sparkling new $120 million facility.
Last June, Royal Canin broke ground on the new project, which will replace the 130,000 square foot plant it currently operates in the southeast South Dakota city.
The new state-of-the-art plant is expected to open in April 2019. About $60 million will be spent on construction, and another $60 million will go toward state-of-the-art equipment.
During last summer’s groundbreaking ceremony, Gov. Dennis Daugaard applauded Royal Canin for reinvesting in North Sioux City.
"Royal Canin could've built a new plant anywhere in the country," he said, "but after thoughtful deliberation, the company chose to remain in South Dakota."
According to a release from the governor’s office, increasing demand for pet food and a desire to grow the Royal Canin brand were reasons the company pulled the trigger on the expensive investment in North Sioux City.
No matter the motivation, Paige Petersen, economic development director of North Sioux City, is happy the company is staying put.
“I think it’s great for economic development in the state; they could have gone anywhere,” she said. “It’s amazing that North Sioux City will be able to continue that relationship. I’m proud of that, and that we have that type of relationship.”
Royal Canin, a division of Mars Inc., a McLean, Va.-based conglomerate, does not expect to expand its North Sioux City workforce of 185-full-time employees. Mars Petcare is the world’s highest selling pet food manufacturer and the company had more than $17 billion in sales in 2015, according to petfoodindustry.com
The Royal Canin expansion is part of Mars’ aggressive attempts at investing in the U.S. In the last five years, the company has spent more than $1 billion on improving or building new facilities across the country.
The new North Sioux City facility will be built to meet leading-edge environmental standards, and will pursue a LEED Gold Certified designation upon completion, as part of Mars’ company-wide commitment to sustainability. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the nationally-accepted benchmark for designing, constructing and operating green buildings.
NORTH SIOUX CITY — Royal Canin's specialized pet foods soon will be produced inside a state-of-the-art facility in North Sioux City.
Royal Canin USA president Keith Levy, South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard and North Sioux City Mayor Randy Fredericksen break ground on Royal Canin's $120 million plant in June 2016. A year after breaking ground on the new plant, the company announced it was hiring 50 new workers for its existing plant who will eventually work at the new facility when it opens.
The land behind this chain link fence is where Royal Canin's USA upcoming $120 million pet food processing plant will be built. The current plant, show in the background, is expected to be eventually demolished.
