Sunshine Mills Expanding Virginia Pet Food Plant, Governor Throws 'em a Bone

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). With a little help from the Governor of Virginia, privately held Sunshine Mills Incorporated (Red Bay, Alabama) is expanding their pet food manufacturing plant in Halifax, Virginia. (Plant 1039131)

Back in August of this year, Virginia Governor Mark R. Warner awarded the company a $60,000 grant to aid them in their $2.5 million expansion program that would add about 40 new jobs and ensure the plant's future and continued worker employment in Halifax County.

Sunshine was looking at sites in Alabama, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas to construct a new plant for the additional capacity, but ultimately decided to expand their existing facility in Virginia.

Currently, the foundation is being poured for a 60,000 square foot addition to Sunshine's plant located at 100 Sunshine Drive in Halifax under the direction of general contractor J.E. Burton Construction (South Boston, Virginia).

Once the building is completed sometime before Christmas of this year, the company will install two hard dog biscuit production lines and a packaging department. One of the dryers is already on-site and the bulk of the production line equipment is being relocated from Sunshine plants in Hamilton, Michigan and Red Bay, Alabama.

40 additional jobs will be added to the company's current workforce of 85 once the project is completed around March or April of 2004.

Sunshine Mills Incorporated manufacturers the highest quality and most innovative pet treats found anywhere. They operate four manufacturing plants in Red Bay, Alabama; Tupelo, Mississippi; Hamilton, Michigan and Halifax, Virginia.