Carnivore Expands New Headquarters and Manufacturing Facility for Pet Food Brands

Raw meat and freeze-dried pet food maker Carnivore is expanding into a new headquarters and 235,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Carnivore announced in a company press release¹ that this expansion comes from a growth of one of its brands, Vital Essentials. 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 began planning for this facility just over a year ago,” Carnivore CEO and Founder Lanny Viegut said in the release. “With the help of Arbor, the grand opening of this new facility marks an exciting new chapter for Carnivore as we ensure we have the cutting-edge technology and capability we need to satisfy the desire of our branded products all over the world.”¹

Carnivore was founded by Viegut in 2012 and currently employs over 200 people at 4 locations in the greater Green Bay area. With the new growth, the company expects to create 150 new jobs over the next 5 years, including automation specialists, engineers, etc.

The new facility will house 36 custom-built freeze dryers and is expected to increase the company’s output six-fold over the company’s 2021 production levels.¹ The new facility will include 27,000 square feet of office space, which the statement said was “designed with sustainability and pets in mind.” Office spaces will be built with sustainable materials and energy-saving features throughout. The property will have a dog park, dog wash stations and other pet facilities.

“Part of growing as a company includes creating an environment that people want to work in. We’ve 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 for their 4 legged companions,” added Viegut.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 are really excited to leverage this unique capability to deliver an even higher level of innovation, which has been at the heart of our brand and our operations from the start. Now we will be able to offer a personalized experience to retailers to really show how unique our products are,” Viegut said in the release.¹

Reference

Carnivore Meat Company opens the largest freeze-dried pet food manufacturing facility in North America. Press release. August 9, 2022. Accessed August 9, 2022.