New owners of pet food plant in Dumas, Ark., say they plan to nearly double work force

Pet food plant in Dumas, Ark., to expand, add jobs

DUMAS, Ark. — A company that bought a pet food plant in Dumas earlier this year said Friday that it plans to spend $10 million to expand and hire another 44 people, helping the city build on its recovery from a devastating tornado in 2007.

The tornado in February 2007 damaged or destroyed 80 percent of the businesses in the city of 5,300 residents and left about 800 people at least temporarily out of work. More than two dozen people were injured but no one was killed by twister.

More than three years on, many of the businesses in town, including Dad’s Pet Care plant, have rebounded.

The pet food plant has 59 employees and Dad’s Chief Financial Officer Elliott Haverlack said the new full-time positions will be “long-term jobs.” Included are positions for microbiologists, managers, technicians and semiskilled labor.

“The jobs are no small part of a $10 million investment,” Haverlack said. “We’re happy to make a positive impact.

Gov. Mike Beebe said companies often don’t rebuild after a natural disaster but Dumas residents pitched in to get the city operating again quickly, including workers at the pet food plant.

Beebe said southeast Arkansas has felt the recession more than other parts of the state, and that having a manufacturing business expand is important.

Dumas Mayor Marion Gill agreed.

“We view this as a project, a development, for the entire region,” Gill said.

Gill said the pet food plant was begun in 1990 when 10 catfish farmers pooled resources so they could make higher-quality feed, creating Arkat Animal Nutrition.

“The company was a success from the very beginning,” Gill said. Arkat soon expanded into other types of animal feed.

State incentives the business will receive include a 4 percent income tax credit on payroll for the new jobs for five years plus a sales tax credit for building materials and equipment for the expansion, said Joe Holmes, spokesman for the Arkansas Economic Development Department.

Dad’s, based in Meadville, Pa., acquired Arkat in February. The former Arkat plant produces food for pets, livestock, wildlife and fish.

The factory has two production plants, but one of them was so badly damaged in the tornado that it will have to come down.