SEWARD, Nebraska (Feb. 13, 2024) –  Petsource by Scoular has completed a $75 million expansion that delivers extra capacity to help current customers grow and space to accommodate new customers seeking production at the state-of-the-art facility. 

The tripling of capacity also enables customers to more efficiently introduce new products to the market, with the expansion providing an additional 70,000 square feet of freeze-dried pet food ingredient manufacturing space. Freeze-dried products are among the fastest-growing pet food categories. 

The expansion of Petsource’s Seward facility created 75 new jobs, with more hiring planned. Petsource now employees over 150 people, making it one of the top 10 largest employers in Seward County, a business hub in southeast Nebraska. Petsource is an indirect, wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Scoular. 

Petsource has been a leader in streamlining the manufacturing of freeze-dried pet food products. Petsource was among the first nationwide to bring the manufacturing steps together under one roof when it opened in 2020 – providing everything from recipe development to raw meat processing, freeze-drying, and packaging – creating an end-to-end solution for brand owners to help support their growth initiatives.  

“We are excited we can deliver additional capacity for our customers, both current and future, and support their growth plans,” said Petsource President Amy Patterson. “Strong demand, growth in our customers’ businesses, and our desire to continue to provide them high quality, innovative solutions drove the project.” 

New customers have been seeking both Petsource’s integrated production process, and its food safety and quality standards, another factor setting it above many competitors. 

“Scoular thrives both on helping our valued customers grow and helping our communities prosper,” CEO Paul Maass said. “We are proud to continue to invest in the state we have called home for over 130 years.” 

Scoular has partnered with pet food manufacturers for decades and will continue to invest to support the marketplace’s growth. The Petsource expansion is a critical component to larger strategic growth plans supporting the pet food industry. 

“I am thankful for Scoular’s 130 years of business impact in Nebraska and I congratulate them on Petsource’s growth over the last four years in Seward County,” said Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen. 

Petsource – bolstered by the expansion – has helped spur job growth, residential construction and other economic development in Seward County, said Jonathan Jank, President & CEO of the Seward County Chamber & Development Partnership. He also credits Petsource with helping draw other businesses to the Seward/Lincoln Regional Rail Campus where it has served as an anchor since first starting operations there over three years ago. 

“Petsource has been a tremendous employer not just in our county but in the region,” Jank said. “They have been a best-in-class employer and we are excited for them to continue growing in our community.”