Nestlé Purina invests $221M in Mexico, its top Latin American market, expanding its pet food plant in Silao to become the largest in the region. This move creates 94 jobs, adding to the current 600 employees, and is part of a $770M investment in the last decade. With Mexico producing over 200,000 tons of pet food annually, the expansion reflects the growing significance of emerging economies in Nestlé's strategy. The Mexican pet food market, expected to reach 2.5 million tons by 2025, is driven by high pet adoption and humanization of pets, with Purina holding 23.2% of the market and projecting $2.6B in revenue for 2024.
Mexico is Nestlé's, the parent of Purina, fourth-largest market in the world, and number one market for the Swiss company in Latin America. The two Purina pet food production companies in Mexico, in Silao, Guanajuato, the other in Cuautitlán, México state, produce over 200,000 tons of dog and cat food annually making it the top supplier of pet food in Mexico.
Recently, Purina announced a $221 million (i.e., CHF 200 million) investment to expand its pet food manufacturing plant in Silao. The investment will create an additional 94 jobs at the plant, adding to the 600 already gainfully employed. In the last decade, Nestlé has invested more than $770 million (i.e., CHF 700 million) in its Silao facility, and the new investment will make it the largest pet food production facility in Latin America.
In a social media statement this week, an EVP for Nestlé, Laurent Freixe, had this to say, "I am very pleased to share that we have invested CHF 200 million to expand our pet food plant in Silao, Mexico, making it the largest for Nestlé in Latin America! This includes new lines for both wet and dry pet food... Mexico is our most important market in Latin America, representing 45% of our regional sales and ranking as the fourth-largest market for Purina globally. This expansion underscores the growing significance of emerging economies in our business strategy."
Pet Food Market in Mexico
Mexico has seen positive trends in pet food production and sales for some time and produced 1.4 million tons in 2021, a 6.5% increase on 2020's production figures. By 2025 pet production figures are expected to reach 2.5 million tons.
Related Articles:
The bulk of Mexico's pet food produced is consumed locally but the potential to export is great given that Mexico has 15 fair trade agreements signed with over 50 countries around the globe. Until recently Mexico has been a net importer of pet foods.
2024 revenues for Purina in Mexico are projected to exceed $2.6 billion with an annual growth rate of more than 3% anticipated until 2028. Growth in Mexico's pet food market is coming from high pet adoption, and the trend in Mexico to humanize pets which leads to higher spending on quality pet food products.
Dog food dominates Purina's sales in Mexico expected to reach $3.3 billion by 2026, with cat food sales lagging and projected to hit $814.9 million the same year.
Nestlé's Purina holds approximately 23.2% of the pet food market in Mexico making it a leader in the segment along with Mars Inc. 45% of Purina pet food sales in Latin America come from Mexico.
