CRB will develop Freshpet’s third kitchen for fresh, refrigerated pet food with a design that matches human food processing lines, appealing to shoppers who want pet food that’s as safe as what they eat.

The new facility in Ennis, Texas, will incorporate layout efficiencies, hygienic segregations, equipment, conveyance, cleaning and inspection designs that are indistinguishable from human food processing facilities, the engineering, architecture and construction company says.

The kitchen will allow Freshpet to significantly scale production capacity as buyers increasingly seek fresh and natural food for their pets. The first phase of 400,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space is expected to open in fall 2022, followed by a 200,000-sq.-ft. expansion phase. At full capacity, the facility will allow Freshpet to produce enough pet food to exceed $1 billion in total revenue by 2025 and employ more than 400 people, nearly doubling Freshpet’s workforce.

“Our third Freshpet Kitchen in Ennis is the perfect location to help us drive new innovation while making our food in a way that’s best for pets, people and the planet,” said Billy Cyr, CEO of Freshpet.

The project uses CRB’s ONEsolution service, which the company describes as “a single source of responsibility, transparent communication and streamlined coordination across the project’s lifecycle—from architectural, engineering development and design through to construction and commissioning.”

“Freshpet understands that pets are members of the family, and they put as much care into the manufacture of their pet food products as they would for their human counterparts,” said Ryan Schroeder, president of CRB. “Our ONEsolution approach will enable Freshpet to take advantage of innovative design elements and a truly end-to-end project delivery model as they set a new standard in pet food manufacturing.”

CRB previously provided design and engineering services on Freshpet’s 140,000-sq.-ft. refrigerated pet food expansion at Bethlehem, Pa. CRB designed power, utility, ammonia refrigeration and HVAC systems, along with other critical and support functions.

Freshpet foods can be found in over 20,000 in-store refrigerators across the U.S., UK and Canada and in large retailers including Walmart, Target, Petco and PetSmart.