Seattle-based Triple "B" Corp., which does business as Charlie's Produce, is moving forward with scaled back plans to expand its Inland Northwest footprint with a new warehouse at 6505 W. 40th in west Spokane. 

The new 66,000-square-foot facility will include 56,000 square feet of modern warehouse space and 10,000 square feet of office space, according to a press release from DMA Solutions Inc., a Dallas, Texas-based marketing firm representing Charlie's Produce.

Updated project plans have been moderated from an earlier proposal to build an 84,000-square-foot facility at the 7-acre site, the Journal previously reported.

The new plans include 17 refrigerated loading docks to support cold-chain logistics, says Bo Bos, general manager at Charlie's Produce in Spokane. The building will also include modern ethylene scrubbers, air filtration devices that help extend the shelf life of produce by reducing ripening gases. It will also feature computer-monitored ripening rooms designed to optimize fruit quality and consistency.

These technologies are standard in the produce industry, Bos says.

The Spokane office of Burlington, Washington-based Fisher Construction Group Inc. will handle construction and architectural services for the project, he says.

Warehouse construction is expected to be completed by April 2027. He declines to disclose the cost of the project.

The property was acquired by Seattle-based Triple B Ventures LLC in February 2022 for $1.4 million, Spokane County tax information shows.

The West Plains facility will provide more operational space for anticipated regional growth, Bos explains, adding that the expansion underscores a continued rise in the demand for fresh food distribution infrastructure in the Inland Northwest.

Charlie's Produce anticipates meeting its target goal of increased operational efficiency at the smaller facility. The new space will be similar in size to the company's existing location at 3530 E. Ferry, in Spokane's East Central neighborhood, where Charlie's Produce has operated for 30 years.

As planned, all current operations will transfer to the new building upon completion, Bos says, adding that company leaders haven't yet decided what will happen with the existing location.

"We will have more vertical storage space and loading docks," says Bos. "That will allow us to more effectively fill and ship orders to keep our customers happy. Efficiency is the main thing we will improve in the new warehouse."

The new building will eventually have the capacity to support 160 to 180 employees.  

"Charlie's is extremely grateful to our customers," Bos says. "It is literally because of them we are able to grow and meet increased demand."

The company's Spokane operations currently serve customers in the states of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana, positioning the facility as a key hub within its broader network.