The entrance to the Freshpet Kitchens facility in Hanover Township.

Just two years after moving into the Lehigh Valley, Freshpet Kitchens is now ready to expand.

The company, which makes fresh refrigerated food for cats and dogs, will be adding 32,000 square-feet to its Hanover Township, Northampton County facility, doubling its capacity by mid-2016 and creating up to 60 new jobs.

“We are proud to be in the Lehigh Valley and are always looking for talented people to join the Freshpet family,” says Richard Thompson, CEO of Freshpet, Inc. “We appreciate all of the support the community has given us, and we look forward to continue working with the community to help strengthen the local economy together and serve more pets ‘fresh’ healthy food.”

A ribbon-cutting event will be held Friday, August 7, at Freshpet Kitchens on 176 North Commerce Way, running from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. To RSVP, contact Donna Pereira by July 24 at 201-520-4083 or via email.

Freshpet first opened its existing 60,000-square-foot facility in Hanover Township in October 2013, and immediately signaled its intention to pursue an eventual expansion. Freshpet dog and cat food can be found in more than 14,000 retail stores across the U.S. and Canada.

In addition to the new permanent jobs, the expansion project is expected to create hundreds of construction jobs during the building period.

The expansion will be completed in two phases. The first phase, recently completed, was focused on repositioning the inbound docks to optimize the flow of fresh ingredients through the Freshpet Kitchens.

The second phase, currently in progress, is concentrated on setting up the infrastructure, including two additional state-of-the-art production lines custom built to prepare Freshpet’s proprietary recipes, according to the company.

Because Freshpet’s top priority is the safety of its pets, the extension will also include an advanced quality assurance lab, where microbiology testing for food safety and quality will be conducted.

As part of the Freshpet Kitchens, the new addition will be registered with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and earn a Safe Quality Food Level 3 Certification, the highest honor of its kind.

Visitors to the ribbon-cutting ceremony are invited to bring their dogs to come experience the Freshpet Fresh Food Truck, according to the company.