Napier: $85m super kitchen for pet food nearly complete at Awatoto

An aerial view of the new facility which will be Ziwi's biggest manufacturing plant. Photo / Supplied

An $85 million super kitchen for the production and export of pet food is nearing completion in Awatoto.

The company behind the project, pet food giant Ziwi, announced in 2020 it was moving its existing set-up in Tauranga to Napier.

Its brand new facility under construction in Napier's industrial suburb of Awatoto, along Awatoto Rd, is on track to be completed in June.

Ziwi managing director Richard Lawrence said the new super kitchen was roughly the size of four rugby fields (12,000 sqm) and would double the production of its existing three Tauranga sites.

"Production from Ziwi's current three Tauranga sites will shift to the $85m state-of-the-art production kitchen in Awatoto from June 2022," he said.

An artist impression of what the new super kitchen will look like when completed later this year. Photo / Supplied

"It will be the largest pet manufacturing facility in New Zealand.

"It is forecast that the kitchen, when at full production by late 2022, will employ about 120 people."

Ziwi also has headquarters in Auckland, a plant near Christchurch and a canning facility in Gisborne.

The vast majority of its products are exported around the world with its largest markets in China, Australia and the USA.

Lawrence said they were considering investing more money in Hawke's Bay, but he did not disclose exactly what those projects would entail.

The huge facility off Awatoto Rd in Awatoto is nearing completion. Photo / Paul Taylor

"We see the Hawke's Bay, and in particular Napier, as a key region for our manufacturing footprint. We are in the process of signing off our next investment in the region."

The company's set-up in Tauranga - where the company started in 2004 - has attracted some backlash from residents in recent years, who have complained about a bad odour.

Lawrence said the new facility in Napier included a new scrubbing system to prevent any bad odours from being released.

"The system is a high-tech air scrubbing plant which deodorisers and vaporises any odours.

"The site also has an extensive wastewater treatment facility to ensure minimal environmental impact from any surplus wastewater."

Ziwi announced last week the Overseas Investment Office had approved a large, but undisclosed, investment into the company by Chinese firm FountainVest Partners.

That money will be used to make new investments into the business.

Ziwi has about 50 farming and seafood suppliers across New Zealand which contribute toward its pet food products.