Scoular executives were joined by state and civic leaders Aug. 6 in Seward, Neb., to celebrate the groundbreaking of the company's new state-of-the-art freeze-dried manufacturing facility.

The facility establishes a new freeze-dried pet food ingredients business owned and operated by an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Scoular, the announcement said. More than $50 million will be invested to build this facility, which is expected to create nearly 100 new jobs once operational.

The 105,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility will bring research and development, meat processing, freeze drying and packaging together under one roof to create nutritious and quality protein ingredients for pet food suppliers, Scoular said. The simplified ingredient supply chain provided by the new facility will efficiently meet the growing demand for freeze-dried protein ingredients.

“We are continually identifying new ways to meet our customers' needs and help solve their business requirements. This new facility reflects this commitment, as one of the first in the country to bring multiple phases of the freeze-drying manufacturing process under one roof for the pet food industry,” Scoular chief executive officer Paul Maass said. “The positive response of the Seward community continually reaffirms the decision to build and operate the facility here.”

As part of preparing for the facility's operations, a temporary research and development lab was established in Seward. It will serve as the headquarters for operations in Seward until the new manufacturing facility is completed as well as work with pet food customers to create solutions to identified challenges.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said, “Scoular is a homegrown Nebraska company that has been creating jobs in our state since the 1800s. The groundbreaking of the freeze-drying facility is an exciting day for Seward. It's another example of the manufacturing strength and economic growth that has helped Nebraska lead the nation in new investments each of the last three years.”

“We appreciate the investment in the facility as the flagship business in our rail campus, and we look forward to growing with this business for years to come,” Seward Mayor Josh Eickmeier added.

Hiring for the manufacturing facility will be a phased approach and is expected to begin in early 2020.

More information about the project and progress updates are available at www.scoular.com/freeze-dried.

Scoular is a 127-year-old, employee-owned company with more than $4 billion in sales. Its 100-plus independent business units provide diverse supply chain solutions for end users and suppliers of grain, feed ingredients and food ingredients around the globe.

With more than 100 offices and grain handling facilities in North America, South America and Asia, Scoular's employees are engaged in the business of buying, selling, storing, handling and processing grain and ingredients as well as managing transportation and logistics worldwide.

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