Gray, Lexington, Ky., and Scoular, Omaha, Neb., broke ground on a new state-of-the-art, freeze-dried manufacturing facility in Seward, Neb.

The facility establishes a new freeze-dried pet food ingredients business owned and operated by an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Scoular.

Gray will provide the engineering, architecture and construction of the 105,000-square-foot facility.

“We’re thrilled to be part of this exciting endeavor,” says Stephen Gray, president and CEO of Gray. “The state-of-the-art facility is sure to make a positive impact on the industry and local economy.”

The plant includes a warehouse, cold storage rooms for raw meat, freeze dryers and clean rooms to produce high-quality pet food using freeze-dried pet food 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,” says Paul Maass, chief executive officer of Scoular.

The project is expected to be operational by the fall of 2020, and will house 150 employees.