A local group of investors is working to bring a small USDA-inspected cattle processing facility to Gering.
The Pumpkin Creek Meat Company, LLC will be owned by Dean Lerwick and his brother Jared and is still in the planning stages.
“In order to get any of these slaughter facilities built, we have to have a ‘Conditional Use Permit’ from Gering,” said Dean Lerwick. “If we can get that we will proceed with plans of finalizing the design.”
About 20 percent of the slots will be maintained for custom slaughter, by individuals and the other part of the business will be for contract slaughter.
The contract part of it would the plant would purchase cattle from area producers and slaughter and manufacture to retail or grocery stores in the region,” he said.
The Pumpkin Creek Meat Company is looking to break ground at the old Packerland area sometime this year, and then be open by the spring of 2023.
This is not the first time a group of investors has tried to build a slaughter facility, all of which have failed with pushback from the community.
“We think the smaller plant might offer an opportunity to shorten the supply chain and provide a locally produced product,” Lerwick said.
The Pumpkin Creek Meat Company is being designed to kill 20 head per day and is expected to create 20 jobs in the first year of operation.
A Gering City Planning and Commission meeting and Public Hearing will be held at 6 p.m. on June 7, at City Hall in Gering for the Conditional Use Permit.
