Northwest Bedding Jumping From Old Store To New One On Sprague

Thu., Nov. 9, 1995

By Ward Sanderson wards@spokesman.com

Northwest Bedding’s new Valley store should open in about three weeks, said company partner Lee Kvalheim.

The store is being constructed at 14102 E. Sprague, between Safeway and Al’s Auto Supply. The company will close its store at 6000 E. Sprague.

That store opened in 1971, and also housed the company’s factory until last year. The new factory is on the West Plains, near Spokane International Airport.

Kvalheim said the moves are due to state plans to improve the Interstate 90 Sprague interchange. Two years ago, the state bought the property the old store sits on. Northwest Bedding has leased the land since.

Although the old store could stay open until the state is ready to begin construction, the company would rather move now than be suddenly forced to move later. Kvalheim said the DOT’s timeline has never been definite.

“They will keep going until, who knows?” he said. “The state’s deadlines have come and gone.”

The state began drafting plans for the improvements in 1985. Five years ago, a county project engineer said work would begin in 1991 or 1992.

Kvalheim said the current building needs to be replaced, anyway. The new structure will be much more contemporary.

“It’s a much more aesthetically pleasing store,” he said.

It has a bigger showroom, too. The new building measures 8,500 square feet, about twice the size of the existing store.

Northwest Bedding first opened on the North Side at Division and Francis in 1966. The company operates two stores in addition to its factory.

The factory manufactures three lines of bedding, including the nationally-distributed King Koil line. Kvalheim said the company manufactures 300 beds per day.

, DataTimes

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