by Greg Forbes
editor@sewardindependent.com
Just one year into its history in Seward, Petsource by Scoular is ready to take a significant leap towards its future.
Scoular announced Nov. 30 that freeze-dried pet food producer Petsource is set to undergo a $75 million expansion project that will triple the facility’s capacity and add 80 jobs. Completion of the project is expected by 2023.
Petsource initially began operation at its 105,000-square foot facility at the Seward Rail Campus in November of 2020.
Amy Patterson, Petsource president, credited the need for the expansion, in part, to the increase in pet ownership and subsequent demand for high quality, freeze-dried pet food since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Pet owners have shown a steadily increasing desire for high-protein, nutrient dense, and raw nutrition pet food options when feeding their new family members,” Patterson said. “I’m thrilled that Petsource and the community of Seward can be part of the solution for our pet food customers seeking to meet the growing demand for freeze-dried pet food.”
The Petsource project is a continuation of Scoular’s $200 million effort to bolster its production, Scoular CEO Paul Maass said.
“This is a very dynamic time for our company and for our industry. We are excited about the opportunity to triple Petsource’s capacity to support our valuable customers’ growth plans,” Maass said. “I’m confident that the talented team at Petsource will continue as a trusted partner for customers in the freeze-dried pet food industry, enabling their continued growth.”
Patterson said the expansion, as well as the existing facility, were designed with safety and pet health at the forefront. She said the expansion will not only allow Petsource to increase production, but do so with the same emphasis on quality as it's shown the past year in Seward.
“We are really committed to creating a quality product and a safe product for our pets,” she said. “We know that there continues to be a tremendous demand and interest in feeding pets high quality and nutritious products.
“Our expansion allows us to continue to offer those products to more of our customers and to do it in a way that we feel comfortable feeding it to our own pets.”
Patterson said the majority of the project will be on green space on northeast corner of the facility. Additional components on the southwest area of the building will see expansion as well.
Patterson said the new step in Petsource’s operation shows a clear, viable relationship between Petsource and the Seward community.
“We knew we wanted to join a community that was pro business and pro family and we are a company that really focuses on our team members. That has become a reciprocal relationship with Seward,” she said. “Everyone in the community as we were building was extremely supportive answering questions to create the opportunity in a business park that didn’t exist at the time. We’ve been extremely thankful for Seward’s proactive effort.”
To thank Seward for the support, she said Petsource has strived to be a contributing community member as well.
“We have been equally as thrilled and grateful that we can be a good partner for Seward as well,” she said. “We want our team members to be valuable citizens of the community. We are happy to give back to a community that’s been so welcoming and generous.”
Jonathan Jank, Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership President and CEO, said he appreciates Petsource’s continued investment in the community. The expansion will provide enormous benefits to not only Petsource, but the community as a whole, he said.
“Petsource has been a tremendous community partner for Seward,” Jank said. “Their expansion will be the single largest economic development project investment in the history of Seward County. We’re grateful for Petsource’s continued growth, which will benefit the area for years to come.”
