Kalmbach Feeds expansion could add 213 jobs in Upper Sandusky-area operations

State-backed project records describe a proposed Kalmbach Feeds pet-food manufacturing facility in the Upper Sandusky-Carey area, along with a planned rail expansion intended to support the company’s area operations.

JobsOhio’s March 2026 executed-project report lists Kalmbach Feeds Inc. with 213 projected new jobs, $14,363,357 in projected new annual payroll, 546 retained jobs and $125 million in fixed-asset investment. The report says the agreement was fully executed during March 2026, but cautions that the figures are company commitments subject to possible project modifications.

A project spanning Upper Sandusky and Carey

An Ohio Tax Credit Authority scope of work identifies the project in the City of Upper Sandusky and Village of Carey, both in Wyandot County. It describes construction of a new pet-food manufacturing facility, including new machinery and equipment, to expand Kalmbach’s current operations. The document describes the plant as proposed, not completed.

The scope says Ohio was competing with Mississippi for the project and that state support was intended to help ensure it moves forward in Ohio. The scope is a general description of the overall project and says it will not be used to determine compliance under the tax-credit agreement.

The Ohio Rail Development Commission’s July 24, 2025 project packet places the planned pet-food facility at Kalmbach’s northern MPK Feeds Plant, less than three miles from the company’s southern REK Feed Mill. The packet identifies three Kalmbach plants in the Upper Sandusky area: the MPK Feeds Plant, the central Upper Feed Plant and the REK Feed Mill.

Jobs and payroll targets run through 2029

The Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a 1.569 percent, nine-year tax credit for Kalmbach on December 15, 2025. The scope says the company expects to create 213 full-time-equivalent employees, generate $14,363,357 in new annual payroll and retain $51,172,386 in existing payroll at the project location by December 31, 2029.

The tax-credit agreement also requires Kalmbach to maintain operations at the project location for at least 12 years. The December 31, 2029 figures are performance targets described in the project scope, not evidence that the jobs or payroll have already been delivered.

The retained-employment figures vary by program record. JobsOhio lists 546 retained jobs, while the Ohio Rail Development Commission materials cite 509 retained jobs. Those numbers are attributed to separate agreements and should not be treated as one standardized measure.

Rail siding would connect feed and pet-food operations

On July 24, 2025, the Ohio Rail Development Commission approved assistance of up to $300,000 for a new siding at the REK Feed Mill near Upper Sandusky. The ORDC packet estimates the rail portion at $5.6 million and identifies a total project cost of approximately $7.5 million for the rail-related project, with Kalmbach responsible for costs beyond the state assistance.

The planned siding would serve the feed mill and connect by transloading to the proposed pet-food facility at the MPK site. Under the project description, inbound materials would arrive by rail at a planned rail receiving and transload facility at REK, move by truck to the pet-food plant, and then be processed, packaged and shipped to customers by truck.

Kalmbach’s rail-project commitment is to ship or receive 400 additional rail carloads per year. The ORDC materials also connect the rail work with commitments to create 213 jobs and retain 509 jobs in Upper Sandusky-area operations.

What residents can verify next

For workers and local businesses, the proposal could mean additional industrial activity, hiring and freight movements if the company meets its commitments. The records do not establish that construction is complete, that the pet-food facility is operating or that all 213 jobs have been filled.

The public record currently shows approved or executed assistance and projected outcomes. Future permitting, construction, hiring and rail-operations updates will show how the proposal advances toward its December 31, 2029 employment and payroll horizon.

Sources

• JobsOhio Monthly Executed Grants and Loans Report: March 2026
• Ohio Tax Credit Authority scope of work for Kalmbach Feeds
• Ohio Rail Development Commission July 24, 2025 meeting packet, Resolution 25-19
• WKTN: Kalmbach Feeds awarded $300K rail grant