US-based Simmons Pet Food is to shut a canning facility in Canada, a move that will affect almost 200 jobs.

The business is planning to close a pet food plant in Streetsville in Ontario by the end of the year.

Simmons Pet Food said the move is a “strategic decision to further centralise production and distribution to better serve customers”.

The closure will affect “approximately 190 team members” working at the facility, the company said.

The group, headquartered in Siloam Springs in Arkansas, is a private-label and contract manufacturer.

The company supplies brands and retailers with pet food products in formats such as cans, pouches and cups.

The pet food maker is part of US poultry, pet-food and animal-nutrition group Simmons Foods, which has 13 facilities in the US and one other in Canada, located in Toronto.

Scott Salmon, the president of Simmons Pet Food, said: “Over the last three years, Simmons Pet Food has invested aggressively in expanding capacity and capabilities in Emporia, Kansas, and Dubuque, Iowa, with the intent to strengthen and grow our business. This is the next step in that strategic plan to position Simmons Pet Food as the most trusted industry partner.”

He added: "The Streetsville location has been an important part of our company’s history. We are deeply grateful for the hard work and dedication of all our team members in Streetsville and are fully committed to supporting them through this transition.”

Last month, Canada-based pet-food producer The Crump Group announced a “significant expansion” of its US manufacturing facility to meet demand.