North Freeze Dry gets approval to build new facility

North Freeze Dry gets approval to build new facility Main Photo

21 May 2021


New Business, Manufacturing, News, Economic Development, Workforce, Business Expansion

A project that will bring more than 50 new jobs to Little Falls is set to move forward.

The Little Falls City Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday, to create a tax increment financing (TIF) district for North Freeze Dry, LLC. The new company is a joint venture of Barrett Petfood Innovations and Anchor Ingredients and will include an 87,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in northeast Little Falls.

The plant will make shelf-stable, freeze-dried pet food, which will then be taken to Barrett’s extrusion facility across the street to be mixed in with the kibble being manufactured there. It is an estimated $30 million project.

“We’re excited about this,” said Sarah Barrett, vice president of operations and quality at Barrett Petfood Innovations. “Right now we’re having to bring in freeze-dried from Wisconsin, Oregon, and Nebraska. So, for us to be able to do that in-house will be exciting for us.”

As part of the agreement for the TIF district, North Freeze Dry will purchase 24.8 acres of property — which is currently owned by the Little Falls Community School District — for $1. It will be required to complete construction by Dec. 31, 2022.

Read the full article here.