A new farm construction company will soon call Seward County home.
Summit Contracting, headquartered in Platte, South Dakota, is planning a new facility just south of Seward, near Tenneco.
While the property currently is within county boundaries, the owners hope to have it annexed into the City of Seward limits.
Todd Lorenz, project engineer from Lincoln, said Summit Contracting primarily builds structures for ag-related purposes, including grain bins and machine sheds.
It offers post frame and metal buildings, as well as livestock confinements.
Summit currently has locations in Platte, Pierre and Brookings, South Dakota, as well as Lincoln/Roca and Gothenburg, Nebraska, and Sioux Center, Iowa.
Its Seward County location will be south of Izaak Walton Road, north of Walker Road and east of County Road 294.
“It’s close to town, so we’re hoping the employees will live here eventually,” Lorenz said.
The 60-acre plat is just outside the city limits but still within the city’s jurisdiction.
Following approval from the Planning Commission, the Seward City Council approved a preliminary and final plat for the project July 19 and also rezoned the property from Agriculture to Industrial.
Summit has requested the property be annexed so it can be connected to city utilities.
However, annexation requires that the proposed ordinance be read at three separate meetings. The first reading happened July 19.
Jonathan Jank, president and CEO of the Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership, presented a master plan for the area, which is near the Seward/Lincoln Regional Rail Campus.
“We’re trying to develop more commercial and industrial sites,” Jank said. “The rail campus is a wonderful thing, but it can’t be all things to all people.”
He said about 20 more acres will be available for future growth west of Summit’s facility.
