As demand for its product continues to grow, so does Petsource by Scoular’s Seward location.
The company has already broken ground on a 55,000-square-foot expansion on the east side of its existing building.
Jon Heussner, director of operations for PetSource, said the addition will allow the company to produce three times more freeze-dried product and store twice as much on site.
The majority of the addition will be for processing, he said, but Petsource will add warehouse and office space, as well.
“The main reason is the demand for raw, freeze-dried pet food,” he said.
That demand accelerated the plans for expansion.
When Petsource opened in Seward, it anticipated three to five years before adding on. It started production in Seward in October of 2020, Heussner said.
“Once we opened, within six to 12 months, we realized we would be out of capacity, so we started planning for sooner rather than later,” he said.
He said the company has been proactive in ordering construction supplies and other equipment and started in advance with hiring contractors. Heussner said the expansion is close to what Petsource had scheduled.
The expansion is exciting for the workforce because it creates opportunities, he said.
“There are a lot of positives going on at the plant,” he said.
The planned expansion will cost around $75 million.
While dirt work has begun, construction won’t start until fall, Heussner said. Equipment will be delivered in the fall and winter with next spring set for product production.
Heussner said the addition will also add at least 75 employees in all areas – production workers, maintenance, quality control, sanitation, office and more. Petsource in Seward currently employs approximately 100 people.
“The support from the community has been great,” he said. “We are in a great location to get raw materials all within a couple hundred miles.”
He said being in Seward has been a great fit for Petsource.
“Seward has been a great experience for all of us,” Heussner said.
