Company success story: Stella & Chewy’s LLC
Products: Founded in 2003, Stella & Chewy’s LLC is a premium natural pet food company that has grown to become one of the leading manufacturers of dog and cat food in multiple categories, including raw freeze-dried, raw frozen, wet, kibble and treats.
The company offers products made with grass-fed beef, cage-free poultry and wild-caught fish along with organic fruits and vegetables. All the company’s food has no hormones, antibiotics or artificial preservatives, as well as grain-free and grain-inclusive kibbles.
Location: The company is headquartered and manufactures their products at their Wisconsin location in Oak Creek. Their products are sold at more than 6,000 neighborhood pet stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Employees: 396 full-time workers in Wisconsin
Wisconsin expansion: The company’s 2021 expansion includes the construction of a new manufacturing facility adjacent to their current facility in Oak Creek. With support from the State of Wisconsin, the company chose to expand operations at their current location rather than move to another state.
“Stella & Chewy’s is proud to call Wisconsin home,” said CEO Marc Hill. “The support from WEDC has helped the company in its significant expansion projects as well as in its international efforts.”
This increased space will mainly consist of production operations, including proprietary processing technology and additional office space for production and corporate personnel, as well as more storage for raw materials.
Wisconsin business environment benefits: As an incentive for Stella & Chewy’s job creation and capital investment, WEDC is providing the company with up to $2 million in state income tax credits over the next three years, contingent on actual job creation. The company plans to hire 245 additional employees.
This $67.7 million project will include approximately $65 million in new equipment. $15 million to $20 million of this equipment will be purchased from local Wisconsin vendors.
WEDC’s previous awards to Stella & Chewy’s include $500,000 in state income tax credits, contingent on the total number of jobs created and capital invested, and a $10,000 International Market Access Grant.
