Overview

To meet growing demand for 3-ounce canned pet food products, Nestlé Purina PetCare invested more than $400 million to expand production capacity at its Jefferson, Wisconsin, facility.

Olsson partnered with Nestlé Purina as the owner's process engineering team throughout the five-year project, supporting the effort from front-end engineering through commissioning, qualification, verification, and startup.

Expertise

Olsson provided comprehensive process engineering and CQV support throughout the life of the project. Early on, we facilitated process design reviews, supported procurement activities, and assessed technical documentation to help establish a strong foundation for execution. As construction progressed, we responded to requests for information, addressed field challenges, and coordinated commissioning readiness activities.

Serving as both Lead Process Engineer and Process CQV Lead, Olsson provided leadership across multiple project teams and stakeholders. We developed commissioning strategies, coordinated schedules, allocated resources, and helped maintain alignment between design, construction, and startup activities.

Outcome

The Jefferson Line 3 expansion successfully achieved its design production targets and met key project milestones, adding significant manufacturing capacity to support Nestlé Purina's growing product portfolio. By providing continuity from initial design through qualification and startup, Olsson helped facilitate a smooth transition from construction to full production.

The project's commissioning and qualification efforts exceeded expectations, with Nestlé Purina recognizing Jefferson Line 3 as one of its smoothest large-scale qualifications. The procedures developed during the project, including approaches to machine risk assessment and commissioning, proved so effective that Nestlé Purina is incorporating them into internal standards for future projects.