It's official: Purina is expanding in Hartwell

It’s official. Nestlé Purina will expand its operations in Hartwell to the tune of a total of $870 million. 

Gov. Brian Kemp announced the expansion on Tuesday, Dec. 8, saying the expansion will create up to 130 new jobs, bringing the total number of jobs at the manufacturing facility to 370 by the end of 2025. 

“The announcement by Nestlé Purina to expand operations in Hart County is exciting news for our community as well as the region,” said Hart County Industrial Building Authority Chairman Bill Leard. “The company not only provides excellent career opportunities, but also has significant involvement in the local community.”

The IBA over the past two months discussed issuing the bonds to aid the company in financing the expansion. The bonds were validated in a Hart County Superior Court hearing Tuesday. 

The company will combine $320 million of refinanced bonds to a new $550 million investment as part of a broader growth plan for Purina, company officials said, which includes new factories recently announced in Williamsburg Township, Ohio, and Eden, North Carolina. Purina brands feed 49 million dogs and 66 million cats every year, and the Hartwell location produces several of the company’s flagship brands, including Fancy Feast. 

The additional jobs are another notch in the economic development belt for Hart County, said Hart County Board Commissioners chairman Joey Dorsey.

“Nestlé Purina has become an important corporate citizen in Hart County, providing significant job opportunities and investment in our community,” Dorsey said. “The Hart County Board of Commissioners is pleased to see Nestlé Purina thriving and planning continuing growth in Hart County.”

New jobs in Hartwell will include positions in manufacturing and assembly from the associate level through management opportunities. Individuals interested in career opportunities are encouraged to visit purinajobs.com/Hartwell for additional information, a release from the company said. 

Purina’s initial investment in Hart County came in the form of $320 million to build a wet pet food factory that has already employed more than 200 people at its facility off of U.S. Highway 29. The new expansion will add processing, packaging and warehouse capacity. 

“Purina is thrilled to be expanding our operations in Hartwell,” said Purina Factory Manager Winston Silva. “Through this investment, we will continue delivering the science-based nutrition pet lovers have come to trust for more than 90 years, with a continued commitment to safety and sustainability in our operations. We’re proud to be a part of the Hartwell community and look forward to expanding our Purina family while also continuing to make a positive impact for pets and people in Northeast Georgia.” 

Since coming to town, Purina has donated $20,000 to the Northeast Georgia Council on Domestic Violence as part of its Purple Leash Project, the release said. 

“As a native of northeast Georgia, this project is especially gratifying, and I want to thank Nestlé Purina for choosing to grow in Hartwell. Additionally, many thanks to Dwayne Dye and our economic development partners in Hart County for helping us win this project,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development’s commissioner Pat Wilson. 

Kemp touted Purina’s investment at it’s impact on Hart County.

“It’s a pleasure to see a world-renowned company like Nestlé Purina expand their operations in the Peach State,” Kemp said. “Our highly skilled workforce of hardworking Georgians has been critical to attracting new jobs and investment to every corner of the state. I’m excited for what this will mean for Hart County and the surrounding region, and I’m grateful for Nestlé Purina’s continued investment in Georgia.”