United Petfood owners vow to fight odors and support local community
MISHAWAKA — The new owners of the United Petfood plant are looking into ways to expand its operations while ensuring they are good neighbors by monitoring the odor abatement equipment used in its operations.
Amanda Turnwald, the Mishawaka plant operations director, spoke Thursday night to the neighborhood meeting of 1st District Common Council member Dale “Woody” Emmons. She stepped in to address the meeting for Elodie Fleury, vice president for North and South America, who was away on business but had addresses Emmons’ October meeting.
While not going into detail, she said the company is exploring capital improvements to both the plant property and to the building at Cleveland Avenue and 11th Street that is owned by United.
“United Petfood is a family-owned business,” Turnwald said. “We will be continuing to invest in this facility. We’re also very interested in being a part of the community.”
United Petfood bought the pet food plant from Wellness Pet in June, making it United’s first plant in the United States. The Belgian company selected the Mishawaka plant, Turnwald said, for its knowledgeable workforce and its location.
“One of the things that they’ve come in and are looking at is how we can invest in our facility to make it more state-of-the-art and really invest in the people and the location,” she said.
The plant is beginning to ramp up its production of making dog kibble. The odor abatement equipment has self-learning technology, meaning it has to “learn the recipes” of the food to use the proper neutralizing chemicals to mitigate the odors.
Turnwald said communication between the residents who live near the plant and the company is happening, and she said the company will stay focused on making sure the processing smells are kept in check.
And the company, which did not know about Mishawaka’s Belgian heritage before the purchase, remains committed to help support the city in its efforts in renovating Rose Park.
Turnwald said officials have begun to reach out to the city’s parks and recreation department to see what can be done with the city’s four-phase renovation of the West End park.
The park completed its first phase of improvements this summer with a new playground, splash pad and restrooms. Other phases will include Belgian bowling and bocce courts, play fields, a walking path and other street and sewer upgrades.
Email Tribune staff writer Greg Swiercz at [email protected].
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