SOUTH AFRICA – Montego Pet Nutrition (Montego), Africa’s largest privately owned pet care manufacturer, has completed construction of its purpose-built facility located in Centurion, Gauteng – South Africa worth R30m (US$1.74m).
The new establishment, sitting on a 21,600m2 piece of land features a production hub, storage space, distribution center and offices, and is set to consolidate all three of its existing Gauteng facilities into one plant.
The factory will focus on the production of Montego’s Monty & Me Essential range, as well as manufacturing for contract clients.
It was designed to initiate a 100% increase in production capacity, with production forecasted to double when the Centurion facility is operating at full speed, reports Bizcommunity.
The premises is equipped with an on-site laboratory to ensure that the same strict controls and testing processes are carried out, as compared to the main plant located in Graaff-Reinet, the Eastern Cape Province.
It has also been successfully audited obtaining the FSSC 22000 certification, with the raw materials and final products approved according to the Veterinary Approval process and HACCP Pet Food Safety regulations.
In addition to the factory, a new fully operational warehouse and distribution centre has been built on the premises. This has enabled an increase in service delivery to customers while reducing costs and has cut delivery lead time from this depot by 20%.
The final feature of the new facility is a 1,4002 three-story admin office built to accommodate the 147 existing staff based in Gauteng, with room for future new employees.
Montego was able to occupy the new premises within nine months of breaking ground, with the building being designed and constructed from start to finish to suit the needs and specifications of the ever-growing company.
“All decisions during the building process were made with future growth in mind. The decision to combine all three sites into one plant is a significant move for us.
“This means better customer service, an increase in production and more opportunities for our staff,” says Marco van Jaarsveld, operations director at Montego Pet Nutrition.
To spearhead its growth, the company recently acquired nine independent depots across the country.
This aligns with its strategic objectives to have more control over supply chain and addresses the rapid growth and customer demand experienced over the last two years.
The depots are found in strategic locations – with central points in each province to maximise the efficiency of deliveries says Johann Kotze, Supply Chain Executive for Montego.
The new depots, along with the 110-vehicle fleet, enables 100 000 tons of pet food produced per year to reach customers safely and efficiently.
Montego has invested over R90 million (US$5.2m) toward factory upgrades over the last five years, with the depot takeovers and new facility being the next step in its growth strategy to meet local and international demand.
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