With origins dating back to 1932, Muenster Milling entered the freeze-dried pet food space with a 17,000-square-foot plant in 2018. Upon witnessing increasing demand for more freeze-dried pet food and a fragmented supply chain to service the space, the company sought to expand its capabilities, eventually partnering with Kainos Capital in 2021. 

Through their partnership, Kainos provided Muenster with the funding to introduce a second freeze-dry facility, significantly expanding Muenster’s capacity and co-manufacturing abilities. This funding also included the appointment of Jim Holdrieth to president and chief executive officer, among other leadership, to help the company advance its growth.  

The new, 65,000-square-foot facility in Denton, Texas, is vertically integrated, meaning Muenster’s entire freeze-drying operation is done under a single roof, from ingredient procurement to meat processing and freeze-drying, all the way to final packaging. According to the company, this integration allows it to be a major player in the freeze-dried segment.

Muenster’s Denton facility uses freeze-dryers from Parker Freeze Dry, all automatically set based on proprietary programming the company developed, eliminating the need for in-person surveillance. The facility includes 15 dryers, as well as space for 10 more, with each touting a capacity of 10 carts with 42 trays of product. 

The process begins with raw material receiving, following which frozen protein blocks and additional ingredients are blended and then formed into the desired shape (pellets, nuggets, meatballs or patties). Product is then flash frozen and stored in a blast freezer until it’s ready for freeze-drying. 

After product has been perfectly freeze-dried, it is then automatically loaded into a hopper and conveyed into a multi-head scale bucket for automatic bag filling. 

Holdrieth believes that “if you get the people right, you’ll get the business right,” leading Muenster to employ several new personnel to its executive leadership team, tapping expertise from the human food and pet food industries to support its latest growth. Additionally, the company employed nearly 50 people to operate the Denton facility to ensure a smooth operation.

The facility includes two packaging lines, one for small packaging sizes between 1 oz and 20 oz, and another for large sizes of 5 lbs and larger. Following packaging, product is then through a checkweigher and X-ray as part of Muenster’s dedication to quality and food safety. 

As part of Muenster’s move toward automation, the company’s new plant includes a robotic case packer and palletizer, reducing the need for manual labor to perform this strenuous task.

Muenster has employed automation throughout a wide variety of the processes at the Denton facility. For example, the blending line pictured here is just one of the many automated processes that boosts efficiency, while also making jobs easier, safer and more rewarding for employees. Additionally, employees are cross-trained, providing Muenster with enhanced flexibility and employees room for career advancement.