Cat ownership is booming, and so is the demand for better cat litter. Minerals Technologies Inc. (MTI), a global specialty minerals company, is betting big on that trend with a slate of major plant upgrades designed to supercharge its SIVO pet care business.

The company is investing in facilities in Dyersburg, Tennessee; Brantford, Ontario; and Chaoyang City, China. Together, the projects aim to boost output, improve flexibility, and streamline logistics, ensuring SIVO can keep pace with rising customer demand for private-label cat litter. The expansions are already underway and are set to be completed by the end of 2025.

Why It Matters

MTI’s consumer segment has a simple math problem: cat ownership is at its highest level in a decade, and the litter box market is straining to keep up. Demand for innovative, high-quality litter—customizable in formulas, sizes, and packaging—isn’t just growing; it’s fragmenting. That makes scalable, flexible production more valuable than ever.

“These investments will help improve productivity, safety, quality, and capacity at our facilities and allow us to meet the growing customer demand for innovative, high-quality cat litter solutions,” said D.J. Monagle III, Group President of MTI’s Consumer & Specialties Segment.

A Global Play

Each upgrade has a distinct purpose. The Dyersburg and Brantford plants are getting more flexible manufacturing capabilities and streamlined logistics, allowing MTI to serve North American retailers more efficiently. In Chaoyang City, MTI is dialing up production capacity to serve a wider and increasingly diverse Asian market.

This global spread matters. With operations on five continents, vertically integrated supply chains, and access to mineral reserves, SIVO has positioned itself as the go-to partner for both regional retailers and major global brands.

Beyond Just Capacity

While extra tonnage matters, MTI says these upgrades will also address customer needs for R&D support and modern packaging capabilities. That’s critical as private-label players—once focused mainly on cost—now compete aggressively on quality, sustainability, and branding.

“With over 35 years of experience in the cat litter industry and deep mineral application expertise, our pet care team continues to bring innovative products to market,” said MTI Chairman and CEO Douglas T. Dietrich. “The investments at our plants will not only increase our capacity but also address key customer requirements for R&D and packaging, high-quality products, and strategically located facilities that will help us grow the private label cat litter category.”

Industry Context

Pet ownership has long been a resilient market, but the private-label segment is where the real disruption is happening. As retailers lean into house brands, companies like MTI are racing to scale up production while meeting higher expectations for sustainability, variety, and performance. Competitors from both traditional consumer goods giants and upstart eco-friendly brands are circling, but MTI’s vertical integration and mineral expertise give it an edge.

If all goes to plan, by the end of 2025, MTI’s global cat litter infrastructure won’t just be bigger—it’ll be smarter, greener, and better equipped to keep cats (and their owners) happy.

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