Mars has officially opened a new $112.6 million pet food manufacturing facility in Wodonga, Victoria, establishing what the company describes as Australia's largest dedicated wet cat food pouch production site.
The new facility will produce 290 million pouches of premium wet cat food annually for brands including Whiskas, Dine, Optimum and Advance, supporting growing demand across Australia and New Zealand. The investment is expected to create more than 67 direct jobs and a further 100 indirect roles in the region, bringing Mars' total Wodonga workforce to almost 500 employees.
The opening marks a significant milestone in the company's broader manufacturing expansion program and follows its recently announced $200 million investment in Australian manufacturing through to 2027. Since 2020, Mars has invested more than $450 million across its Australian operations to modernise facilities, improve efficiency and expand production capacity.
Melodie Nye, managing director and general manager of Mars Petcare Australia and New Zealand said the investment reflects growing demand for wet pet food products and Mars' commitment to local manufacturing.
“Mars has been part of the Wodonga community since 1967, and this new facility is the next chapter in that story,” she said.
“We're proud to keep investing here – in local jobs, in Australian manufacturing, and in the people who make this place what it is.”
Advanced manufacturing at scale
Located alongside Mars' existing operations in Wodonga, the facility incorporates advanced manufacturing technologies including autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated packaging systems, a next-generation cooker and AI-enabled planning tools.
According to the company, the technology has been deployed to improve production efficiency, operational flexibility and product consistency while supporting the site's high-volume output requirements.
Mark Harry, Mars Petcare Australia and New Zealand R&D director, told PKN automation plays an important role in helping the facility manage the complexity of modern pet food production.
“We know pet parents want lots of flavour variety, so we've designed the new facility to deliver that choice as efficiently as possible,” Harry said.
“We're using AI-enabled planning tools and autonomous mobile robots to help manage production flow and reduce downtime between flavour changeovers.”
The company said packaging operations have also been integrated into the site's broader automation strategy, with repetitive production tasks automated where practical to maximise efficiency and ensure consistent quality.
Producing 290 million pouches
The facility will predominantly manufacture 85g pouch formats, packed in configurations ranging from 12-pack multipacks through to 60-pack formats, depending on retailer and consumer requirements.
Beyond production throughput, the facility has also been designed to reduce waste across manufacturing operations.
“Improved in-factory storage and handling systems means less product is lost during processing, and smarter material use helps cut packaging waste across the line,” Harry said.
“Altogether, it's a world-class approach to efficient, low-waste manufacturing that lets us make high-quality meals with less waste and greater consistency.”
With wet pouch products now representing the fastest-growing segment of the pet food category, the investment significantly expands Mars' local production capability.
Focus on future packaging solutions
The scale of the operation also places a spotlight on the future recyclability of flexible packaging.
While the current pouch format can be chemically recycled, Mars sees mono-material structures as an important next step in improving circularity outcomes.
“Our current pouches are able to be chemically recycled, but mono-material pouches will allow for mechanical recycling when that infrastructure is scaled in Australia,” Harry said.
Mars said its long-term ambition is to make its pouch portfolio compatible with both chemical and mechanical recycling pathways as collection and processing infrastructure develops.
“Our R&D team are already working heavily on this and advocating for infrastructure solutions with our state and federal governments,” Harry said.
Renewable energy integration
The Wodonga site is also home to two renewable energy initiatives designed to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
These include Australia's first commercial Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) system for industrial steam generation, a $39.3 million project jointly funded by ARENA and Mars. Once complete, the system is expected to provide more than 50 per cent of the site's annual process heat requirements while reducing natural gas consumption.
The facility also hosts Australia's first commercial-scale electric Thermal Energy Storage (eTES) pilot. Mars says the technology has already reduced gas consumption by around 20 per cent.
Building local manufacturing capability
The new facility means approximately 90 per cent of Mars Petcare products sold across Australia and New Zealand will now be manufactured locally.
For Mars, the investment strengthens domestic production capability and supply chain resilience while positioning the company to meet growing demand in one of the fastest-growing segments of the pet food market.
With 5.3 million cats living in Australian homes and demand for wet pet food continuing to rise, the Wodonga facility represents one of the largest recent investments in food and packaging manufacturing in regional Australia.
