Mars manager Brett Brown outlines pouch cat food expansion detail

The $112.6 million project, unveiled on Friday June 2, 2023, will create 60 fresh production jobs

Wodonga plant director Brett Brown said Whiskas, Dine, Optimum and Advanced brands of pouched cat food, would come from the 7800 square metre plant.

"We will make 26,000 tonnes off this site, making 290 million pouches every year," Mr Brown said.

The products on Australian store shelves are currently made at at Mars Petcare factory in Thailand.

Mr Brown said there had been plans to manufacture the pouches in Australia since 2018 and it now made economic sense.

"The Mars ethos is always around local supply, so making sure that we had a viable way to do that has been very, very important and over the last five or so years we've been striving hard to make that a reality and we have done that," he said.

"The success of that has been that we've have been able to now repatriate those tonnes back to Australia."

Mr Brown said more pet cats in Australia also cemented the decision.

"The wet pouch market itself is around 53 per cent of the market and it's growing around 20 per cent year on year, so this investment for us here in Wodonga is really well-timed," he said.

The new plant will be built alongside a 34,000 tonne single-serve tray production site which opened in 2017 after a $52.5 million investment.

Its output consists of 75 per cent dog food and 25 per cent cat meals and it will be eventually be linked to the new factory which will run around-the-clock.

The 60 new jobs, which will add to an existing workforce has 400, were welcomed by Labor government member for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes, who visited Mars for the announcement.

"It's that show of confidence that is going to be really beneficial to the community, but 60 high quality jobs in town can't be underestimated in the economic benefit that that brings also to the region," Ms Symes said.

State government agency Regional Development Victoria has contributed taxpayer funds towards the expansion, but Ms Symes would not specify the amount.

"The actual investment from the Andrews Labor government is commercial in confidence," she said.

Earthworks have marked the new factory's footprint and construction is expected to begin at the end of the year with equipment to be commissioned from late 2024.

"We're hoping by the start of 2025 we'll be doing trial pouches off the back of the line and in early 2025, quarter one, we'll be starting into full production," Mr Brown said.

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