TONGANOXIE, KAN. — DSM announced May 1 plans to construct a premix plant for the pet food industry in Tonganoxie, supported by the KC Animal Health Corridor. The companies expect to break ground on the state-of-the-art facility in July and anticipate it will be fully operational in early 2025.

“The pet food industry has been looking for a better source for the highest quality, traceable and reliable nutritional ingredients for their products and we are thrilled to be able to deliver for the industry and for ‘pet parents' with this new facility in Tonganoxie,” said Dimitri de Vreeze, co-chief executive officer at DSM. “We appreciate the support of Governor Laura Kelly, the Kansas Department of Commerce, the Leavenworth County Development Corporation, the City of Tonganoxie, Evergy and the Animal Health Corridor in making this state-of-the-art facility a reality.”

The “next-generation” premix factory, as described by DSM, will supply pet food processors with high-quality nutritional premixes and is expected to create 28 new jobs in the area. The plant will be strategically located in the KC Animal Health Corridor, providing DSM close proximity to several leading pet food manufacturers, as well as reducing logistics costs and supply chain risk.

DSM's new premix facility will be located along the KC Animal Health Corridor in Tonganoxie, Kan.Source: KC Animal Health Corridor 

“With the highest concentration of animal health assets in the world, the Kansas City region is home to a robust industry network, as well as abundant manufacturing and distribution resources,” said Kimberly Young, president of the KC Animal Health Corridor. “The region continues to attract top companies in the industry, and we’re proud that DSM has selected the corridor for this state-of-the-art, innovative new facility.”

The premix facility will be equipped with precision micro-batching capabilities, which will allow for full traceability of automated micro-added ingredients and broaden DSM’s ingredient range to include more unique premix offerings.

Improved process automation at the facility will also allow for improved traceability, accuracy and automated weight verification, according to DSM, as each batch will move through the facility in its own containerized transport system. This will also improve speed and accuracy to meet the evolving needs and high demand from pet food customers.

The facility will also be built with sustainability at the forefront. It will operate entirely on renewable electricity, similarly to DSM’s other North American facilities, and will reduce waste by decreasing the number of required flushes for sequencing through its mixing vessels, the company stated.

The facility is expected to meet all food safety requirements and exceed current pet food production standards, according to DSM.

“DSM is a welcome addition to Kansas and the Animal Health Corridor,” said Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. “Having another industry leader locate here further enhances the globally recognized animal health ecosystem that is anchored in Kansas.”

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