Altek Begins Work On New Factory

Altek Inc., a Valley manufacturer of components for the telecommunications and medical industries, has begun construction of a $4 million plant to replace its existing facility across the street.

Altek, which employs 147 people, next summer will begin moving into the 138,000-square-foot plant in the MeadowWood Business Park near Liberty Lake, said spokesman Dick Heckroth.

The expansion will increase Altek’s warehouse space for raw materials and finished products, while providing more efficient design for production lines.

The expansion also coincides with an organizational restructuring to create self-directed work teams that require less management and oversight.

“We’ve been working to develop our organization to bring us into the next century,” Heckroth said.

The new plant will replace two existing buildings, totaling 76,000 square feet. Once emptied, the buildings will be sold or leased, he said.

The expansion will cost between $4 million and $5 million, including the price of a 15-acre site on the north side of Appleway Boulevard. Altek bought the land from Olivetti North America Inc. for an undisclosed price.

Altek is owned by company president, Allan Marzetta. It uses injection molding and machining to produce parts for customers in Spokane, Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles.

, DataTimes