An extensive national search led Omaha, Nebraska based Scoular to select the community of Seward in its home state as the location for its new $50 million freeze-drying facility which will supply customers in the pet food industry. The facility, to be located on 15 acres in the Seward/Lincoln Regional Rail Campus south of Seward is expected to employ up to 100 people.
“For 126 years, Scoular has invested in the people of Nebraska. We are excited to build on this legacy and advance our strategy with a unique facility that brings all phases of the freeze-drying manufacturing process under one roof,” said Scoular CEO Paul Maass in a recent news release. “This facility will provide our pet food customers a simplified and efficient ingredient supply chain and do so while meeting the fast-growing demand for freeze-dried protein ingredients.”
“It was clear to us following an extensive national search that Seward is an ideal community for us to join and grow together. We are excited to join in this process with the people of Seward,” Maass said.
A ground-breaking ceremony is planned for June, and the construction is expected to take 14-16 months.
“Many factors are evaluated when a company is searching a site for a manufacturing facility and one of those is land ownership or control. In Seward’s case the City had the foresight to option 300 acres of land south of town and have the property master planned and ready for development,” commented Brian Vasa, NPPD Economic Development Consultant.
Scoular buys, sells, stores and transports grain, feed ingredients and food ingredients and has 10 locations in Nebraska, 23 offices and 79 storage, handling and processing facilities across North America, South America and Asia.
Seward is a wholesale partner of Nebraska Public Power District