Champion Petfoods has opened a new CAD$32 million Global Innovation and Discovery Centre at its NorthStar Kitchen in Acheson, Alberta, strengthening its research, product development and manufacturing capabilities as demand for premium pet nutrition continues to grow.
The facility, announced on 24 June, will support the development, testing and refinement of new pet food recipes, production technologies and product concepts for the company’s ORIJEN and ACANA brands before they are scaled for commercial manufacturing. Parent company Mars, Incorporated also plans to invest an additional CAD$15 million in Champion’s Canadian operations over the next five years to enhance production, packaging and sustainability.
The latest investment builds on approximately CAD$591 million Champion Petfoods has invested in its Canadian manufacturing network over the past decade, including the development of its NorthStar Kitchen production facility in Alberta.
The new Innovation and Discovery Centre enables scientists, nutritionists, veterinarians and product developers to conduct pilot-scale research and product trials in a controlled environment before transferring successful concepts to full-scale manufacturing. The company said the approach is designed to accelerate innovation while maintaining product quality and operational efficiency.
The investment also reinforces Champion’s long-term manufacturing presence in Alberta by expanding its research capabilities alongside production operations. The company sources many of its ingredients from Canadian farmers, ranchers and fisheries, supporting regional agricultural supply chains while developing premium pet food products for international markets.
Champion said part of the facility’s work will focus on ingredient optimisation and sustainability, including upcycling initiatives and proprietary processing methods intended to maximise nutritional value from fresh and raw ingredients. Planned investments over the next five years will also support packaging improvements and production upgrades across its Canadian facilities.
The company is expanding its collaboration with researchers at the University of Calgary and the University of Guelph to advance evidence-based pet nutrition research. Champion said many findings from these university-led studies will be made publicly available to help support wider industry knowledge.
The project also highlights Alberta’s growing role as a manufacturing and innovation hub for premium pet food production, combining food science, ingredient sourcing and advanced processing within a single research and production campus.
For the wider Canadian FMCG sector, the investment reflects continued spending on research, manufacturing technology and supply chain resilience as food manufacturers increase investment in innovation to support future product development and export growth.
Champion Petfoods, founded in Alberta more than 40 years ago and now headquartered in Louisville, Colorado, employs nearly 1,000 people and distributes its ORIJEN and ACANA pet food brands in more than 80 international markets.
As construction and equipment investment continue across the company’s Canadian operations, the new research centre is expected to play a central role in developing future products and manufacturing technologies while supporting long-term production growth.
