Perfection Pet Foods gets expansion OK

 9:00 PM, Feb. 27, 2012  | 

Written by

VALERIE GIBBONS

Perfection Pet Foods is expanding its facility in Visalia.

The Planning Commission on Monday approved the addition of an 81,000-square-foot warehouse to the pet food manufacturer.

The company said the warehouse will store grains and meat for processing and serve about 10 trucks a day.

Ed Cooper, Perfection's vice president of operations, said the company is moving to build the warehouse now because it is expanding faster than expected.

"We've been able to obtain some additional customers," he said. "We believe we're going to be more successful than originally planned."

This is the third change in plans for the company, with a permit required for each step because it's classified as a food processor.

"Any time a business is expanding, we see that as a good thing," said Paul Scheibel, Visalia's planning services manager.

The plant has about 40 employees.

Perfection Pet Foods is a subsidiary of Western Milling Quality Feeds in Goshen.

The facility, at 1111 N. Miller Park Court in Visalia, is expected to produce 140,000 tons of dry pet food per year.

Construction of the more than 184,647 square feet of manufacturing space has taken 11 months, rather than the usual two years.

Cooper said construction of the plant — which soars 90 feet above-ground and tunnels almost 30 feet below-ground in one section — has taken eight different contractors and provided between 80 and 100 jobs on a daily basis.

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20120228/NEWS01/202280312/Perfection-Pet-Foods-gets-expansion-OK