SEWARD, Neb. (Sept. 1, 2020) – Gov. Pete Ricketts, U.S. Rep. Don Bacon and Seward-area civic leaders on Tuesday participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony and toured Petsource by Scoular’s new $50 million freeze-dried pet food ingredient manufacturing facility. The facility will begin operations in October.

“Scoular has been creating opportunities for Nebraskans for over a century,” said Gov. Ricketts. “The Petsource operation brings great jobs to Seward, and we’re grateful for Scoular’s ongoing commitment to growing its business in the Cornhusker State.”

“Nebraska is the center of agriculture in the United States because of the quality commodities we grow and raise along with the innovation that is generated by such companies as Scoular,” added Rep. Bacon, a member of the House Agriculture Committee. “This Petsource facility highlights the rich resources available in our community but also the brilliant and ingenious talent produced by our Nebraska educational institutions.”

Petsource is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of The Scoular Company, a 128-year-old employee-owned company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Petsource will develop, procure, freeze-dry and package high-protein ingredients as a contract partner for pet food manufacturers. It is among the first in the country to bring these steps together under one roof, positioning itself as the go-to source for pet food companies. The facility includes a testing laboratory where new pet food ingredients, such as freeze-dried whole organ meats and meat analogue recipes, are created.

 “We are excited to drive innovation in the pet food industry and encouraged by our customers’ enthusiasm for the capabilities within our new facility,” said Petsource General Manager Amy Patterson.  “We look forward to creating new partnerships with our customers by bringing product development together with meat processing, freeze drying and packaging to provide a complete freeze-dried pet food supply chain.”

The 105,000-square-foot manufacturing facility is located in the Seward/Lincoln Regional Rail Campus. After a national search, Seward was chosen in part due to the available labor pool of talented, hard-working people. Petsource is expected to create up to 100 jobs once fully operational.

 “Petsource represents the single-largest economic development project for the City of Seward in decades,” said Mayor Josh Eickmeier. “For our community, Petsource is not just a new business, it is a new partner.”

“On behalf of Scoular, I want to thank the greater Seward community and State of Nebraska for their support of and enthusiasm for the Petsource operation from start to finish,” said Scoular CEO Paul Maass. “Scoular is proud to invest in the state we have called home for 128 years.”

Key project partners included the City of Seward, Seward County Chamber & Development Partnership, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and Gray Construction, based in Lexington, Kentucky.