Carnivore expands new headquarters and manufacturing facility for pet food brands

Rendering of Carnivore Meat Company’s new headquarters. (Rendering courtesy of Schuh Construction)

Freeze-dried and raw meat pet food manufacturer, Carnivore, is expanding to a new 235,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Carnivore announced in a company release¹ that this expansion comes from a growth in one of its brands, Vital Essentials. The construction of the new 28-acre facility is in partnership with Arbor Investments.

“We are seeing exponential growth in demand for our Vital Essentials brand and started planning for this facility a little over a year ago,” stated Carnivore CEO and founder, Lanny Viegut, in the release. “With the help of Arbor, the groundbreaking of this new facility marks an exciting next chapter for Carnivore as we ensure we have the cutting-edge technology and capacity we need to satisfy the desire for our branded products around the globe.”¹

Carnivore was founded by Viegut in 2012 and currently employs more than 200 people across 4 locations throughout the greater Green Bay area. With the new growth, the company plans to add 150 new jobs over the next 5 years, including automation specialists, engineers, and more.

The new facility will house 36 custom-built freeze-dryers and is projected to increase the company’s production six-fold from the company’s 2021 production levels.¹ The new facility will include a 27,000-square-foot office space, stated in the release to be, “designed with sustainability and pets in mind.” Office spaces will be constructed with sustainable materials and energy-saving features throughout. The facility will have a dog run, dog wash stations and other pet amenities.

“Part of growing as a company includes creating an environment people want to work in. We have always had a pet-friendly culture and this new facility will enhance that offering, making work an accessible place not only for our team members but also their 4-legged companions,” Viegut added.¹

Schuh Construction was chosen to lead the construction of the new facility. Working together since 2010, Schuh Construction and Carnivore have collaborated on 50 projects to support Carnivore’s growth and expansion initiatives over the years.

“We’re truly excited to leverage this unique capability to deliver an even greater level of innovation, which has been at the heart of our brand and operations since the beginning. Now we’ll be able to provide a personalized experience with retailers to truly show how unique our products are,” Viegut stated in the release.¹

Reference

Carnivore Meat Company breaks ground on largest freeze-dried pet food manufacturing facility in North America. News release. August 9, 2022. Accessed August 9, 2022.