Hill’s Pet Nutrition – Wet pet food manufacturing facility
Tonganoxie, Kan.
Merit Award
Sent by: gray
Owner: Hill’s Pet Nutrition
Main design company: AE gray
General contractor: gray
Structural Engineer: Freeland Harris Consulting Engineers
MEP Engineer: Smith Seckman Reid Inc.
Built on 80 acres of green land, this 365,000-square-meter plant increases Hill’s pet food production capacity with quality systems and customized processes that incorporate new methods for mixing powders and liquids and for handling meat.
Rather than copying an existing plant, the owner envisioned this project as a hypermodern production facility: a smart factory that fully leverages automated technology, data collection, and sustainable construction and process systems.
Using automated technology and purpose-built equipment, the project team reduced the size of the building by more than 100,000 square feet, resulting in significant cost savings and improved operational efficiency. The reduced footprint makes more efficient use of the factory floor and the more open floor plan offers ample space for robotic solutions to quickly load and transport materials and goods.
To achieve LEED Gold and minimize the facility’s carbon footprint, the project includes sustainable design principles that help the facility conserve energy and water and improve airflow efficiency. More than 1,000 motors run at peak efficiency with variable frequency drives, and the facility recovers water at 20 gallons per minute for reuse in non-potable processes. High-efficiency window and wall materials also minimize heat transfer.
To allow for more efficient use of automated systems, the new plant is mostly single-story.
