WILLIAMSBURG TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The new Nestlé Purina plant is open for business in Williamsburg Township.
After years of development, the $550 million investment is up and running, with hundreds of new employees filling the halls, machines and conference rooms.
“We had all our best technical and innovative manufacturing thinkers under one roof as we constructed this 1.3 million-square-foot operation," factory manager Mike Ferritto said.
The factory has more than 430 associates, with plans to bring in over 500 employees in total, according to company representatives.
It is now home to a massive operation, making pet food that will be sold in stores nationwide.
WATCH: An inside look at the brand-new Nestlé Purina plant in Clermont County
“What makes this factory special isn’t the advanced technology or the scale of the operation; it’s the people," safety specialist Robin Snyder said.
Monday marked the facility's grand opening, with corporate officials joining in the celebration alongside local, county and state officials.
“Batavia alone is going to feed over 8 million pets annually, thanks in part to more than the $550 million that Nestle entrusted in Purina," Purina CEO Nina Leigh Krueger said.
WCPO 9 and other media members were invited to tour the facility Monday. Senior engineering manager Robin Zuend walked us through an upstairs display, showing the kinds of innovation that go into making the different types of kibble and cat food.
Then, we were brought into the factory itself, where machines hummed as empty bags were filled to the brim, stacked and packaged, ready to make their way to different stores.
“I think it's a combination of this world-class like, factory of the future, we call it. Combining that with the people here in Clermont County," Zuend said.
The local ties go even further, as officials told the audience that local produce is being used in the ingredients for the Purina products.
"By sourcing Ohio-grown crops, ingredients, products made right here, Purina is strengthening Ohio's agricultural economy and supporting our rural communities," said Brian Baldridge, the director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Leaders hope that this plant can be a boost to the community for decades to come.
“Perhaps someday, a future grandchild will proudly say, 'My grandfather proudly retired from Batavia Nestle Purina Plant, and my mom still works there today,'" said Clermont County Commissioner David Painter.
