JEROME, IDAHO, US — Furthering its commitment as an ingredient supplier to the pet food and aquafeed industries, Scoular on Dec. 7 celebrated the grand opening of a new facility that will produce Emerge, a first-of-its-kind concentrated barley protein.

Emerge was developed by Scoular to help meet the growing demand for plant-based, sustainable ingredients in pet food and aquafeed.

Scoular also recently announced it has broken ground on a new 14,400-square-foot marine protein processing facility in Warrenton, Oregon, US, that also will serve the pet food and aquafeed industries.

“Scoular is proud to develop this innovative feed product and partner with Idaho’s barley farmers and pet food and aquafeed manufacturers to add value throughout the supply chain,” said Paul Maass, chief executive officer of Scoular. “Scoular has a long history of success with our Jerome, Idaho, teams and customers, and we are thrilled to make additional investments in this region.”

Joining Maass at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Jerome were David Faith, chairman of Scoular’s board of directors; Laura Wilder, executive director of the Idaho Barley Commission; and Mike Williams, city administrator of Jerome.

“Idaho is the top-producing barley state in the US, growing 37% of the nation’s crop in 2021,” Wilder said. “Scoular’s new facility will bring expanded opportunities for growers, further strengthening Idaho’s place as the No. 1 source of consistent, high-quality barley in the US.”

Emerge, both traceable and non-GMO, is created through a patent-pending process that concentrates the protein naturally found in whole barley kernels, creating a nutrient-dense ingredient for use in pet food and aquafeed, the company said.

The facility is expected to begin commercial production in January. Along with the state of Idaho and city of Jerome, key project partners include the Jerome 20/20 Economic Development Organization, Scott Jackson Trucking, Starr Corp. and Bratney Companies.

In August, Scoular began construction on a marine protein processing facility in Warrenton. The plant is expected to be operational by the summer of 2022.

The $12 million project is a joint venture with Da Yang Seafoods and Bornstein Seafoods and “will create a larger supply base for our pet food and aquaculture customers,” Scoular said.

Scoular said its new plants in Oregon and Idaho underscore its growing commitment to expand its presence in the pet food and aquaculture ingredient space. The company began operations at its $50 million freeze-dried ingredient production plant in Seward, Nebraska, US, in October 2020. This business segment, Petsource by Scoular, develops, procures, freeze-dries and packages whole organ meats and meat analogues specifically for pet food manufacturers.