Parrott Mechanical Inc. will move its headquarters and a service division to Spokane from Coeur dAlene this summer and consolidate its operations in a new, $10 million business park, says the companys general manager, Howard Rude.


Parrott, a sizable Inland Northwest heating, plumbing, and electrical contractor thats owned by Lennox International Inc., of Richardson, Texas, will occupy about 30 percent of the space in the first building at International Gateway Corporate Park, which is under construction in the Spokane Valley, Rude says. That building will have a total of 58,000 to 72,000 square feet of office and warehouse space, he says.


Rude Enterprises LLC, a company owned by Rude and his wife, Delvona, is developing the industrial park, which is located just north of Interstate 90, less than a mile east of the Argonne Road interchange.


Crown Moving Co. Inc., an agent for Mayflower Transit Inc., also has agreed tentatively to lease space in that building, say officials with the moving company.


As a result of Parrotts move, about 100 Parrott workers will be based at the new Spokane Valley industrial park. The 100 employees include some administrative people, but mostly are field technicians who work in Parrotts residential and commercial service and replacement division, which is being moved to Spokane from Coeur dAlene, says Tod Hornby, the divisions general manager. Parrott, Hornby says, will continue to have a presence in Coeur dAlene, where it has been based since 1938. Its commercial contracting division will remain based at the companys facility there, at 6600 N. Government Way, he says. That division employs about 300 people in all, although theyre based at a host of locations, including the office in Coeur dAlene and branches in Seattle, Portland, and California.


Hornby says Parrott is making the move to the Spokane Valley because it has grown rapidly in recent years due to several acquisitions and needs to be in a more centralized location to operate its businesses.


We have a lot more customers in the Spokane market due to the acquisitions, Hornby says. We feel like well serve the entire market better out of one office.


In the last two years, Parrott has acquired Spokane-based Snappy Plumbing Co., Heat Transfer Inc., and Wyatts Heating & Air Conditioning, as well as Better Heating & Cooling, of Coeur dAlene, and Hayden Lake-based Blue Mountain Plumbing, he says. Parrott now operates those companies out of its Coeur dAlene location and out of Heat Transfers Spokane headquarters at 3003 N. Crestline.


Right now, were trying to run one operation out of two separate facilities, Hornby says. You cant imagine the loss of efficiency were experiencing because of that.


Parrott was owned by Service Experts Inc., of Nashville, Tenn., until January, when Service Experts was acquired by Lennox.


The building that will house Parrott at the new industrial park here is expected to be finished by August, Rude says. Construction of the second building there should begin at the end of July, he says. That building also is expected to have between 58,000 to 72,000 square feet of floor space.


When fully developed, the 16-acre industrial park will have four buildings with a total of 201,000 square feet of space.


Polin Construction Inc., of Coeur dAlene, is the general contractor for the first building in the park, Rude says. The projects architect is Ron Mackie, of Spokane-based Architectural Ventures.