Beverage company plans new refrigerated warehouse

Johanna Beverage Co. is building a new 37,000-square-foot refrigerated warehouse at its Spokane location this year.

The facility at 5625 W. Thorpe Road will be used to store and stage the company’s products, which will be held between 34 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit. The building will be constructed of steel-frame and insulated-metal panels.

The company, which is headquartered in New Jersey, produces a variety of refrigerated juices and drink boxes, including Washington Natural, Tree Ripe, Ssips and La Yogurt.

The new facility is expected to be open by the end of the year.

The beverage company, which has operated in Spokane since 2007, was fined $154,000 last year by the Washington state Department of Labor and Industries following two ammonia leaks in December 2016.

The first of the leaks was reported on a Saturday evening and caused fire crews to evacuate homes and businesses within a third of a mile of the plant. The state agency determined the company had “multiple willful, serious and general workplace safety violations.”

Fisher Construction, based in Burlington, Washington, is the project’s general contractor and will lead the project. Bellevue-based Cooper Architects designed the building.