Dad’s Pet Care plant in Ark. expanding

June 13, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

DUMAS, Ark.

A company that bought a pet-food plant in Dumas earlier this year said Friday that it plans to spend $10 million to expand and hire 44 more people, helping the city build on its recovery from a devastating tornado in 2007.

The tornado in February 2007 damaged or destroyed 80 percent of the businesses in the city of 5,300 residents and left about 800 people at least temporarily out of work. More than two dozen people were injured, but no one was killed by twister.

Many of the businesses in town, including Dad’s Pet Care plant, have rebounded.

The pet-food plant has 59 employees, and Dad’s Chief Financial Officer Elliott Haverlack said the new full-time positions will be “long-term jobs.” Included are positions for microbiologists, managers, technicians and semiskilled labor.

State incentives the business will receive include a 4 percent income-tax credit on payroll for the new jobs for five years plus a sales-tax credit for building materials and equipment for the expansion, said Joe Holmes, spokesman for the Arkansas Economic Development Department.

Dad’s, based in Meadville, Pa., acquired Arkat in February.