Farmina Pet Food USA, a provider of scientifically-developed foods and personalized nutrition services for dogs and cats, will establish its North American headquarters in Reidsville, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company’s plans in Rockingham County include the creation of 129 jobs over five years and a capital investment of nearly $28.5 million.

 “We welcome Farmina Pet Food to North Carolina, and are proud to be the base for its North American operations. Their choice will add jobs to Reidsville and our excellent workforce and infrastructure will serve them well as they continue to grow,” Governor Cooper said.

Farmina Pet Food USA LLC is part of family owned and operated Farmina Pet Foods Holding, whose small-animal nutrition business began in Italy in 1965. The global company utilizes natural ingredients in manufacturing both wet and dry dog and cat food products containing natural antioxidants and no GMOs. Farmina remains headquartered in Italy and operates manufacturing facilities in Italy, Brazil and Serbia. It currently has a sales and marketing office in New York City. The company’s North Carolina location will include manufacturing, R&D and warehousing operations.

“As a family-owned and operated business, we believe that Reidsville is the perfect fit for our values of quality and continuous innovation, from the workforce to the production technologies. Utilizing ingredients from Europe, Farmina’s North Carolina kitchen will make to order our Natural&Delicious and Vetlife dry nutritional solutions for cats and dogs,” said Farmina Holding CEO and Owner Angelo Russo. “A state-of-the-art microbiological and chemical lab will be equipped to carry out the company’s strict quality control procedures, establishing a new benchmark for creating pet nutrition solutions in the U.S. We plan to further invest in the Southeast to develop a network of family-owned regional farms that meet our farm-to-table ingredient quality standards.”

The North Carolina Department of Commerce led the state’s efforts to recruit Farmina, which also considered other U.S. destinations. The company’s new jobs will offer salaries averaging $46,722 per year, creating a $6.15 million annual payroll impact in the region. Rockingham County’s overall wages currently average $35,146 per year. Farmina’s North Carolina workforce will include positions ranging from machine operators and shipping clerks to veterinarians and chemical technicians.

“Farmina’s selection of North Carolina for this significant investment provides ample evidence that our infrastructure, workforce, cost structure and global market access enable leading companies to meet their strategic business objectives,” said Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland. “We welcome Farmina as the newest member of our manufacturing community and appreciate the outstanding work of our partners and allies who helped make today’s announcement possible.”

Farmina’s new presence in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the 12-year term of the grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by more than $857 million. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the 129 new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $1.833 million over 12 years.

State payments occur only after verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met incremental job creation and investment targets. Projects supported by JDIG must result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to the recipient company. The provision ensures all North Carolina communities benefit from the JDIG program.

Joining the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina in the facilitating Farmina’s arrival in North Carolina are key partners that include the North Carolina Community College System, Rockingham County, the City of Reidsville, the Rockingham County Center for Economic Development, Small Business & Tourism, and Duke Energy.