Stella & Chewy’s, a premium natural pet food company, is expanding its facility in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The $67.7 million project is expected to create 245 jobs over the next three years.

The company is planning the construction of a new manufacturing facility adjacent to its current facility that will include approximately $65 million in new equipment. The increased space will mainly consist of production operations, including proprietary processing technology and additional office space for production and corporate personnel, as well as more storage for raw materials.

Approximately $15 million to $20 million of this equipment will be purchased from local Wisconsin vendors, according to officials from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).

“Stella & Chewy’s has expanded our sales and product offerings over the past few years and we expect the growth to continue,” said CEO Marc Hill. “In order to meet projected product demand, the company will expand our current production footprint by approximately 140,000 additional square feet to support growing demand. We welcome and appreciate the support we’ve received from WEDC and are looking forward to bringing the additional employment opportunities to the area.”

WEDC is supporting the project by authorizing up to $2 million in state income tax credits over the next three years. The actual amount of tax credits Stella & Chewy’s will receive is contingent upon the number of jobs created.

“This investment will enable Stella & Chewy’s to position itself for continued growth and success, and at the same time, create jobs in Milwaukee County,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC. “Companies have a choice when deciding to expand, and the decision by Stella & Chewy’s to establish another facility in Oak Creek is a testament to Wisconsin’s strong business climate and dedicated workforce.”

Founded in 2003, Oak Creek–based Stella & Chewy’s LLC offers dinners made with grass-fed beef, cage-free poultry and wild-caught fish along with organic fruits and vegetables. All the company’s food has no hormones or antibiotics and no grains, is gluten-free, and contains no artificial preservatives. Stella & Chewy’s products are manufactured in the U.S. at their facility in Oak Creek and are sold at more than 6,000 neighborhood pet stores in the U.S. and Canada.