Northern Pelagic Group opens new processing facility in Pennsylvania

New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based pet protein manufacturer Northern Pelagic Group (NORPEL) has opened a new processing facility in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.

The new 70,000-square-foot pet food processing plant and prep kitchen was recently constructed in the town of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and will produce fresh and frozen proteins for pet food manufacturers. The company also hopes to add a 25,000-square-foot cold storage facility on the site, which is located in Hazleton’s Humboldt Industrial Park.

“NORPEL’s new prep kitchen will be a multi-protein facility that expands NORPEL’s ability to serve the rapidly developing North American pet food industry,” NORPEL Vice President of Business Development Michael Tierney said in a press release. “The kitchen will connect brands, manufacturers, and consumers to nutritious land proteins. NORPEL will produce new products that meet sustainability and animal-welfare standards with the same reliability and quality NORPEL’s partners have come to expect.”

The plant’s location was chosen for its abundant labor market and its strategic location, Tierney said.

“[It] brings NORPEL closer to raw materials in the region, its customer base and, importantly, the port of Philadelphia,” Tierney said.

NORPEL, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary in 2022, is a provider of primary proteins for many household-brand name pet products. As pet ownership and pet food sales has surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and with the sector expected to grow at a 4.5 percent rate through 2025, NORPEL has grown along with that demand, it said. Its new facility has three processing lines that expand its capacity to produce its existing products and enables opportunities for new product innovation and specialization.

NORPEL also recently announced a plan to expand its seafood offerings through a partnership with the Association of Genuine Alaskan Pollock Producers (GAPP) to develop new products containing Alaskan pollock.

“Integrating wild Alaska pollock into our pet protein lines has been a longstanding goal of NORPEL,” said NORPEL Co-Founder Bob Desautel, who is also the president and CEO of Global Seas, a pollock-fishing company based in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

“Wild Alaska pollock will help NORPEL further its commitment to sustainability and deliver an excellent protein for pets,” Desautel said. “Expect wild Alaskan pollock in the pet aisle soon.”

NORPEL CEO and Co-Founder Brady Schofield said the company will continue to prioritize the sustainability of the seafood ingredients it uses.

“Sustainability continues to be our top priority. The opening of this facility will allow us to reduce our carbon footprint and places NORPEL closer to our customers and suppliers,” he said. “Reducing emissions due to transportation, upcycling, and offering certified products is just the beginning of our journey in sustainability.”

Tierney said the future of the partnership between the seafood industry and the pet food sector is bright.

“Pets need proteins and consumers want proteins that make them feel okay about what their pet eats, both for their health and the planet,” he said. “We have partnered with a wide range of suppliers and have created products that will help pet food manufacturers continue to produce food that will keep pets and their owners coming back for more.”

Photo courtesy of Humboldt Industrial Park