FreshChoice Complete Diet Products plans to establish a pet food manufacturing facility in Gallatin County, Kentucky. A startup firm that will manufacture premium dog and cat foods and natural pet treats, FreshChoice plans to create 22 jobs and invest $2 million into the project.

The firm plans to set up its manufacturing and production facility in a former food processing plant in Warsaw, Kentucky. The company will use the 26,000-square-foot facility on East Main Street to manufacture fresh and raw dog and cat food, as well as smokehouse bones, chews and treats. FreshChoice plans to begin selling its premium products nationwide in spring 2015 through a network of independent distributors.

“Today, pet parents are looking for foods with high-quality ingredients for their four-legged companions, and FreshChoice was developed to meet increased consumer demand for premium, natural pet nutrition,” said Andrew Bullock, President/CEO of FreshChoice. “Dogs and cats are best fed as carnivores, and our new plant in Warsaw will have innovative capabilities to make fresh and raw products that pets need for optimal nourishment. We’ll also have the infrastructure and capacity for sustained growth.”

According to Governor Steve Beshear’s Office, launched in 2010, FreshChoice developed a feline nutrition business supplying raw diets specifically formulated for captive lions and tigers in zoos across the U.S. The privately-held company partnered with a meat supplier in Warsaw, which encouraged the company to build its first pet food and treats plant in Kentucky.

As an incentive to encourage the investment and job growth in Gallatin County, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $220,000 through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the term of the agreement through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.

“Kentucky prides itself on having quality businesses that create quality products,” said Governor Steve Beshear. “Today, we can add FreshChoice to that list. I want to thank FreshChoice for choosing Kentucky to grow its business, and I look forward to seeing the company’s products in retail and pet supply stores throughout the country.”