RIPON — Diamond Dog Food is moving a manufacturing plant to Ripon.
Ripon Mayor Chuck Winn said Diamond is in the planning stages of moving its Lathrop facility to the former Neenah Paper Plant that was vacated over a year and a half ago located along Highway 99 at the Stanislaus River.
The firm that produces several brands of dog food also makes the Kirkland Brand distributed by Costco stores.
Winn said he was told the firm is expecting to hire more than 100 employees and will be expanding the former paper plant by some 28,000 square feet. They are known for paying their employees a good wage plus benefits, he added.
The current Lathrop operation has less than two dozen workers.
The mayor said he knew the plan was to close escrow with Neenah by the end of September when the company would begin to make physical modifications to the facility.
“My understanding is that they plan to use it all – there is a lot of property there,” Winn said. “It has pretty much been through the planning department in getting permits, but I don’t know the extent of the plan check or the permits,” he added.
Diamond Pet Foods is owned by Schell and Kampeter Inc. with corporate offices in Missouri. They have manufacturing plants in Meta, Missouri; Lathrop; and Gaston, South Carolina. It is a privately-held, family owned enterprise established in 1970 as a livestock feed company.
Diamond products are carried in the area by Schemper’s Ace Hardware in Ripon, Old McGowan’s Feed in Lathrop, and Escalon Feed.
They also manufacture under contract, for other companies, at least some of the pet foods sold under those firm’s brands. In addition to Costco other firms they manufacture dog food for are Canidae Pet Food, Solid Gold Health Products for Pets, Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Foods, and Taste of the Wild Pet Foods.
Ripon Mayor Chuck Winn said Diamond is in the planning stages of moving its Lathrop facility to the former Neenah Paper Plant that was vacated over a year and a half ago located along Highway 99 at the Stanislaus River.
The firm that produces several brands of dog food also makes the Kirkland Brand distributed by Costco stores.
Winn said he was told the firm is expecting to hire more than 100 employees and will be expanding the former paper plant by some 28,000 square feet. They are known for paying their employees a good wage plus benefits, he added.
The current Lathrop operation has less than two dozen workers.
The mayor said he knew the plan was to close escrow with Neenah by the end of September when the company would begin to make physical modifications to the facility.
“My understanding is that they plan to use it all – there is a lot of property there,” Winn said. “It has pretty much been through the planning department in getting permits, but I don’t know the extent of the plan check or the permits,” he added.
Diamond Pet Foods is owned by Schell and Kampeter Inc. with corporate offices in Missouri. They have manufacturing plants in Meta, Missouri; Lathrop; and Gaston, South Carolina. It is a privately-held, family owned enterprise established in 1970 as a livestock feed company.
Diamond products are carried in the area by Schemper’s Ace Hardware in Ripon, Old McGowan’s Feed in Lathrop, and Escalon Feed.
They also manufacture under contract, for other companies, at least some of the pet foods sold under those firm’s brands. In addition to Costco other firms they manufacture dog food for are Canidae Pet Food, Solid Gold Health Products for Pets, Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Foods, and Taste of the Wild Pet Foods.
