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Council approves sale of rail-campus lot to Parker Baby Company for warehouse and distribution
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Summary
The council adopted an ordinance and approved a purchase agreement conveying Lot 14 in the rail campus to GoodLife Limited, doing business as Parker Baby Company, which plans to consolidate e-commerce warehousing and relocate operations to Seward.
The Seward City Council unanimously approved an ordinance and a purchase agreement directing conveyance of Lot 14 in the Seward Rail Campus to GoodLife Limited, operating as Parker Baby Company.
Council members cited the company's local ties and the city's approach to selective economic partners as reasons for supporting the sale.
Sam Dietner, founder of Parker Baby, told the council he started the company after having twins and that the firm designs and sells baby products online. "We started Parker Baby when we had our twins, 10 years ago," Dietner said, adding that the company currently uses third-party warehouses and seeks to consolidate distribution into a Seward facility to reduce costs and create local jobs.
Dietner said the rail-campus location lets the company reach 90% of the U.S. by UPS ground in two days and that he and his family are relocating from Colorado. "We currently distribute using third party warehousing, which, has gotten expensive," he said, and added that the company plans to grow local in-person staff beyond an initial warehousing team.
City staff introduced the ordinance as part of the council's intentional selection of early rail-campus partners. One staff member said the city evaluates potential partners for connectivity to the community. "If you look back at PetSource and Schuler ... our opportunities locally with Kellen Plum Creek Seed... our opportunities locally with Kellen Plum Creek Seed," the staff member said, noting that the city seeks partners with community ties.
The ordinance was designated as ordinance number 2025-14 and was adopted by a recorded 7-0 vote. The council then approved the purchase agreement for the lot in separate motions, also recorded as unanimous.
Council and staff said they expect standard next steps for land conveyance and site preparation. The council did not provide detailed job counts or construction timetables during the discussion; Dietner said initial warehousing roles would number only a few but that the company aims to grow the team over time.
