Nestlé Purina Breaking Ground For $15 Million Building At Checkerboard Square In St. Louis

July 16, 2010

Nestlé Purina breaking ground for $15 million building at Checkerboard Square in St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri, July 16, 2010 – Nestlé Purina PetCare today announced plans to construct a $15 million Learning and Training Center at its Checkerboard Square headquarters – the first new building on campus in nearly 25 years.

Purina and Nestlé officials will celebrate with a groundbreaking ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 16, featuring Jack Russell terriers “going to ground” and remarks by Nestlé Purina Chief Executive Officer W. Patrick McGinnis and Nestlé Executive Vice President Luis Cantarell.

“This is good news for Nestlé Purina, good news for our associates and good news for the City of St. Louis,” Pat McGinnis said. “Even during challenging economic times, we continue to grow and invest in our business.”

Construction on the new four-story, 56,000-square-foot building will begin immediately and is expected to be completed by December 2011.

Purina’s 55-acre Checkerboard Square property features 17 buildings with approximately 1.3 million-square-feet of office space, three ponds and a dog park. This capital project marks the first new building at Purina headquarters since 1986.

The new building will emphasize innovation and include a state-of-the-art 82-seat “in the round” auditorium, along with conference rooms and office space. It will face Chouteau Avenue.

Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., the world’s largest food company.