Stella & Chewy’s expanding
Pet food maker plans to add 82 jobs in Oak Creek
Natural pet food maker Stella & Chewy’s LLC is expanding its Oak Creek manufacturing facility and headquarters, creating a projected 82 jobs over three years.
The $30 million expansion will include leasing a new building near its headquarters at 111 W. Oakview Parkway, in OakView Business Park, according to the announcement from Gov. Scott Walker.
Stella & Chewy’s, which has around 200 employees, also is buying new machinery and equipment.
That expansion is being fueled by significant growth in the number of customers, said Marc Hill, chief executive officer.
“Stella & Chewy’s excellent growth in sales and market share of its high-quality premium pet food products is requiring expanded manufacturing capability,” Hill said in a statement.
Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., the state’s economic development agency, is providing up to $500,000 in state income tax credits over the next three years.
The actual amount of tax credits Stella & Chewy will receive is based on the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment during that period.
“Companies have many options in deciding whether to expand, and we commend Stella & Chewy’s for its continued commitment to Wisconsin,” Walker said in a statement.
Stella & Chewy’s is named for company founder Marie Moody’s dogs.
Moody launched Stella & Chewy’s in 2003 in her apartment in Manhattan, where she worked as a fashion industry sales rep.
Moody had rescued a sick dog, Chewy, from an animal shelter.
On a veterinarian’s advice, Moody began feeding Chewy raw meat, fruit and vegetables. That nursed the dog back to health — and led Moody to start selling natural pet food to local stores.
She moved the company to her hometown of Muskego in 2006 before relocating in 2011 to a bigger building on Milwaukee’s south side.
Stella & Chewy’s continued growth led to a 2015 move to its current 164,000square-foot headquarters at OakView Business Park. The business park is west of South Howell Avenue and south of West Oakwood Road.
The company sells raw freeze-dried and raw frozen food for dogs and cats made from grass-fed beef, cage-free poultry and wild-caught fish, along with organic fruits and vegetables.