SIMMONS PET FOOD

SIMMONS PET FOOD. In July, 2021 the opening of Simmons at the former site of FLEXSTEEL INDUSTRIES, INC., was looked upon as wonderful news after a year of economic turmoil caused by the PANDEMIC. Work started at the plant in July with employment at 150 and plans to expand in the near future.

Representatives had visited the site in November, 2020 and by the end of December the announcement had been made that the company would locate in Dubuque. When the announcement was made, company officials estimated a total investment of $80 million and predicted that employment would rise to 270 jobs by the second quarter of 2023. By July 22, the company estimated that its investment would be $100 million with the 270 job level expected to be reached by April, 2022. (1)

Simmons Pet Food is one of three divisions of the company which operate under the name Simmons Foods, established in 1949 as a family-owned company.

♦) Simmons Prepared Foods is a farm to fork poultry producer based in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, primarily serving customer brands as a supplier of premium chicken products for the foodservice industry. Simmons supplied customized products to some of the world’s largest retailers and food chains. A vertically integrated producer, the company was dedicated to providing quality from the farm to the family dinner table.

Simmons operated three hatcheries and two feed mills which supplied nearly 300 independent poultry growers and 20+ company-managed farms which raised approximately 200 million chickens annually. The company's six processing plants produced 750 million pounds of finished product per year for customer brands around the world.

♦) Simmons Pet Food was a leading North American private-label and contract manufacturer of wet and dry pet food and treats. Simmons Pet Food sourced high-quality ingredients and used state-of-the-art manufacturing processes to produce premium and value-focused pet food.

Simmons Pet Food supplied top brands and retailers with products in a variety of packaging formats, including cans, pouches and cups. Simmons Pet Food operated two wet pet food production facilities, a dry pet food facility and a treats production facility. These operations were located in northwest Arkansas, Kansas, and Ontario, Canada.

♦) Simmons Animal Nutrition produced specialized ingredients for the pet food, aquaculture and animal feed industries. From its beginnings as a producer of chicken-based protein products, the company expanded to become a leading supplier of diverse, proprietary ingredients. Simmons Animal Nutrition drove innovation across the entire supply chain including traceable sourcing, custom transportation, and quality control solutions.

Prior to its opening in Dubuque, Simmons operated multiple nutrition production facilities in Southwest City and Milan, Missouri; Siloam Springs, Arkansas; Quakertown, Pennsylvania; and Bridgeville, Delaware. (2)

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Source:

1. Montgomery, Jeff, "Pet Food Plant Begins Production," Telegraph Herald, July 22, 2021, p. 1A

2. Simmons Foods website. Online: https://simmonsfoods.com/industries