Constructed on an 80-acre greenfield site, this 365,000-sq-ft plant increases Hill’s pet food production capacity with custom process and quality systems that incorporate new methods for mixing powders and liquids and for handling meat.

Rather than copying an existing plant, the owner envisioned this project to be a hyper-modern production facility—a smart factory that fully leveraged automated technology, data collection and sustainable building and process systems.

Using automated technology and purpose-built equipment, the project team reduced the size of the building by more than 100,000 sq ft, resulting in major cost savings and an improvement to operational efficiency. The reduced footprint makes more efficient use of the factory floor and the more open floor plan provides ample space for robotic solutions to rapidly load and transport materials and goods.

To achieve LEED Gold and minimize the facility’s carbon footprint, the project features sustainable design principles that help the facility conserve power and water and improve airflow efficiency. More than 1,000 motors run at peak efficiency with variable-frequency drives, and the facility reclaims water at 20 gallons per minute for reuse in nonpotable processes. High-efficiency wall materials and windows minimize heat transfer as well.

To enable the most efficient use of automated systems, the new plant is mostly single story.