Scoular, an employee-owned company based in Omaha, Neb., that offers diverse supply chain solutions for end users and suppliers of grain, feed ingredients and food ingredients around the globe, announced that one of its indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries will build a new freeze-drying manufacturing facility in Seward, Neb. The facility will establish Scoular's new freeze-dried pet food ingredients platform.

Approximately $50 million will be invested to build this initial facility, which is expected to create nearly 100 new jobs once operational.

As the pet food industry has grown and expanded, so has the need for quality ingredients. Scoular has worked with pet food partners for years to provide procurement and supply chain solutions. The company said this new facility will provide pet food customers with a simplified and efficient ingredient supply chain while meeting the fast-growing demand for freeze-dried protein ingredients.

A ground-breaking ceremony is anticipated for June to mark the start of construction on an approximately 105,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at the Seward/Lincoln Regional Rail Campus. Construction will take approximately 14-16 months, with the goal of being operational by the early fall of 2020.

“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,” Scoular chief executive officer Paul Maass said. “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 begin this process with the people of Seward.

Scoular is a 126-year-old company with more than $4 billion in sales and 100-plus independent business units. From more than 100 offices and grain handling facilities in North America, South America and Asia, its 1,000-plus employees are engaged in the business of buying, selling, storing, handling and processing grain and ingredients as well as managing transportation and logistics worldwide.

Source: Scoular, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.