THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 2, 1996 TAG: 9605020565
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MYLENE MANGALINDAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
Hampton Roads residents may soon find kitty litter easier to scratch off their shopping list.
A Ralston Purina Co. subsidiary announced it will build a $20 million factory near Richmond to produce cat-box filler. The Golden Cat division of the St. Louis-based pet products company will employ about 70 people at the Virginia plant.
The company chose King William County after an 18-month search because huge clay deposits are located there, said Elmer Richars, Ralston Purina spokesman. Clay is the main ingredient in kitty litter.
Construction of the plant started at the end of April. It is located 40 miles northeast of Richmond, about five miles from the King William County courthouse. The facility is scheduled for completion in 1998.
Ralston Purina bought about 40 acres of land for the 150,000-square-foot plant in February from the Virginia Clay Co. It will also lease additional land from the Virginia Clay Co. to mine clay, Richars said.
``This new facility is considered an expansion and entrepreneurial growth opportunity for the Golden Cat division,'' said Golden Cat CEO Franklin J. Krum. ``The Virginia facility will enable Golden Cat to improve efficiencies and better serve our customers along the East Coast and the New England area.''
Ralston Purina is the leading maker of pet food in the United States and Canada. It is also the world's largest producer of dry dog foods and dry and soft-moist cat food under the Purina brand name.
Golden Cat is the successor to the business founded by the inventor of cat-box filler, H. Edward Lowe. The division was acquired last April. It operates three mining and manufacturing facilities and two packaging sites.
The kitty litter retail market is estimated to be $800 million. ILLUSTRATION: [Map of Virginia]
by CNB