SHELBY, MICH. —The Right Place, an economic development organization in West Michigan, announced that Perdue Farms plans to invest more than $27 million to renovate a local food processing plant into a pet treat facility. The Right Place is supporting the facility renovation.

“We’re thrilled to have Perdue Farms join the community of Shelby,” said Brent Case, vice president of business attraction for The Right Place and project lead. “With our region’s abundant natural resources, diverse supply chain, skilled labor and regulation-friendly business environment, we are confident Perdue Farms will thrive here in West Michigan.”

According to Perdue, the project is driven by significant growth in its pet treat division, as well as consumer demand.

“As people are increasingly seeking cleaner labels in what they feed their pets, this new production facility will play a key role in the continued growth of our human-grade pet treat brands,” said Ryan Perdue, vice president and general manager of Perdue’s Pet Business. “The central location of this facility in Michigan will help us drive efficiencies in our supply chain, improve freight costs, enable access to a strong local workforce and allow for multiple phases of expansion within the property’s existing footprint.

“Importantly, the project grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will help support the creation of nearly 100 new jobs to the area, and we commend their efforts to incentivize agricultural and manufacturing expansion in the state,” Perdue added.

The facility will support Perdue’s Spot Farms and Full Moon pet treat brands, which are sold throughout the United States and Canada. Spot Farms offers human-grade, dehydrated dog food and treats and Full Moon specializes in human-grade dog treats cooked in small batches.

“This is a great win for the village of Shelby and Oceana County,” said Ron Maynard, executive director of the Oceana County Economic Alliance at The Right Place. “We’re so happy that Perdue Farms has chosen to invest in our community. They’ll be providing quality jobs for our local residents, and we look forward to seeing their growth in our region.”