Engineering Scope

Pet Food Process Engineering

Process design for dry, wet, fresh, frozen, treat, and specialty products, including material balances, process flow diagrams, P&IDs, equipment sizing, hygienic layouts, operating narratives, and utility definition from receiving through packout.

Ingredient Handling & Batching

Bulk storage, unloading, pneumatic and mechanical conveying, weighing, dosing, grinding, sieving, and mixing systems for grains, proteins, fats, minor ingredients, and liquids. Designs address segregation, access, dust capture, and cleanability.

Extrusion & Thermal Processing

Integration of preconditioning, extrusion, forming, baking, cooking, drying, cooling, coating, and enrobing systems. LAPORTE coordinates equipment interfaces, process controls, utilities, building requirements, maintenance access, and product transfer.

Dust Control & Hazard Coordination

Dust collection, capture points, ducting, ventilation, housekeeping interfaces, and electrical area considerations for dry ingredient operations. Designs are developed against the project's combustible-dust hazard analysis and applicable NEC and NFPA requirements.

Plant Utilities & MEP

Steam, hot water, refrigeration, chilled water, compressed air, process water, HVAC, plumbing, odor-control interfaces, and wastewater systems coordinated with cooking, drying, cleaning, and production demand.

Electrical Power Engineering

Electrical distribution for mills, extruders, dryers, ovens, refrigeration, utilities, and packaging equipment, including transformers, switchgear, MCCs, drives, grounding, lighting, backup power, and applicable power-system studies.

Controls & Automation

PLC, HMI, SCADA, recipe, batching, sequencing, historian, and production-data integration for process systems and OEM equipment. Scope can include instrumentation, network architecture, alarm management, FAT/SAT, commissioning, and startup. For process and packaging lines, we can design segmented industrial networks, assemble and install UL 508A panels, and execute the scope at fixed-fee or T&M with project management.

Packaging & Material Handling

Bag, pouch, can, tray, and case line integration with weighing, filling, inspection, labeling, conveying, case packing, palletizing, and warehousing. Designs coordinate interfaces, utilities, controls, access, sanitation, and phased installation.

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Plant and Facility Work near West Chester, PA

Dry Kibble Wet Pet Food Fresh, Raw & Frozen Pet Treats Specialty & Therapeutic Diets Animal Nutrition Ingredients

Local and Project Context near West Chester, PA

Six US Offices
Project teams work from six US offices: West Chester PA (headquarters), Columbus OH, Chicago IL, Rochester NY, Durham NC, and Denver CO. That footprint supports site visits, construction support, and commissioning across the country.
PE-Licensed in 21 States
LAPORTE Professional Engineers are licensed in 21 US states. Deliverables are stamped and sealed for permitting, insurance, and regulatory review wherever the facility is located.
Sector-Specific Engineering
LAPORTE engineers dry, wet, fresh, frozen, and specialty pet food producers across process, MEP, electrical, and automation disciplines. Ingredient handling, extrusion and thermal processing, drying, coating, and packaging are coordinated with dust control, utilities, power, and recipe/batch automation from receiving through packout.
Regulated-Industry Documentation
Work is built around the codes and documentation these facilities run under, from NEC and NFPA to FDA, USDA, and cGMP requirements, so deliverables hold up to permitting and audit review.

Engineering Leadership

Photo of Nate Kocher, P.E.
Nate Kocher, P.E.
Partner, Director of Electrical and Automation Engineering
LAPORTE • West Chester, PA

Engineering and management consultant with 15+ years of work in control systems, power distribution and systems integration for food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

  • P.E. Licensed in 21 States
  • Penn State, B.S. Electrical Engineering
  • West Chester University, MBA
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Photo of Keith Morgart, P.E.
Keith Morgart, P.E.
Electrical and Automation Engineer
LAPORTE • Greater Pittsburgh, PA

Electrical power and controls engineer whose work includes power distribution, motor controls and code compliance for industrial and commercial facilities.

  • P.E. Licensed Professional Engineer
  • University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, B.S. Electrical Engineering
  • NEC, NFPA and IEEE standards
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Representative Project Work

pet food • multidiscipline
Project need: A pet food manufacturer required engineering design for a new 370,000 sq ft greenfield production facility ($315M total constructed cost).
LAPORTE scope: LAPORTE provided preliminary and detailed engineering for MEP, automation, instrumentation, and process. Scope included 45 HVAC units, ammonia refrigeration with micro-charging, air compressors, boilers, 40 MBTU cooling tower, chiller skids (2,300 TR), and wastewater treatment. Services included procurement, construction administration, startup, and commissioning with a team of 35.
Outcome: The greenfield facility was designed and constructed as a fully integrated production plant.
food & beverage • automation
Project need: A nutrition company required engineering for a greenfield whey protein plant ($800M total constructed cost) including receiving, heat treatment, filtration, and drying systems.
LAPORTE scope: LAPORTE provided project management, preliminary and detailed engineering design for process and automation, design of automation architecture (50+ control panels, networks, operator stations, control room), procurement support, and commissioning (IQ/OQ/PQ). Scope included HTST heat treatment, disc stack centrifuges, membrane filtration (UF/NF/RO), crystallization, evaporation, spray drying, and CIP.
Outcome: The greenfield whey protein plant was designed and commissioned.
pharmaceutical • multidiscipline
Project need: A national research organization required a new Biologics Manufacturing Centre with biological containment level CL2 for vaccine candidate production (5,000 m², $126M total constructed cost).
LAPORTE scope: LAPORTE provided engineering and construction supervision for the new facility including two cell culture suites (500L and 2,000L), purification by chromatography, vial filling, secondary packaging, warehouse, offices, mechanical/electrical rooms, and QC laboratory. The facility was designed in accordance with GMP requirements.
Outcome: The Biologics Manufacturing Centre was completed and designed for vaccine production.

Project Questions

What pet food processes does LAPORTE support?
LAPORTE supports dry kibble, wet food, fresh, raw and frozen products, treats, specialty diets, and animal nutrition ingredients. Engineering can cover receiving, processing, utilities, dust control, electrical systems, automation, packaging, and facility infrastructure.
Can LAPORTE engineer extrusion and drying lines?
Yes. LAPORTE integrates ingredient handling, preconditioning, extrusion, forming, cooking, drying, cooling, coating, conveying, and packaging equipment. Services can include process definition, layouts, utilities, power, controls, construction support, and startup.
Does LAPORTE address combustible dust in pet food plants?
Yes. LAPORTE designs capture, dust collection, ventilation, and related electrical systems based on process information, a project-specific combustible-dust hazard analysis, and applicable NEC and NFPA requirements. Hazard evaluation itself can be coordinated with qualified specialists as needed.
Can LAPORTE integrate pet food plant automation?
Yes. LAPORTE can develop PLC, HMI, SCADA, batching, recipe, sequencing, historian, and network designs, then integrate OEM equipment and instruments through FAT/SAT, commissioning, and startup support.
Can LAPORTE expand an operating pet food facility?
Yes. LAPORTE supports brownfield upgrades and expansions with field verification, capacity analysis, phased process and utility work, electrical upgrades, line relocation, shutdown planning, construction administration, and production startup.

Engineering support in nearby areas

Engineering support for West Chester, PA

LAPORTE Consultants
Suite 200, 158 West Gay Street
West Chester, PA 19382
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